Seward Stretches Streak to Six

Following their longest losing streak of the season, of just three games, the Seward County Lady Saints have now responded with six straight wins, picking up numbers five and six Wednesday afternoon at Lady Saints Field in Liberal with 9-1 and 7-5 wins over Clarendon on a blustery day at the ballpark. 

The Lady Saints got their day off to a good start in the 1^st inning of game one of the double header as speedster Andrea Sitter singled to get things going and quickly stole second and third before scoring along with Pokey Ewell on a 2 RBI double from Becky Allen to put Seward in front 2-0.  Later in the inning Allen scored on a passed ball for Clarendon and after 1 inning of play it was 3-0 Seward. 

Seward starter Brittany Hopkins worked a quick top half of the 2^nd and got a slick fielding double play from Felisha Vogelaar and Marissa Chavez to end the inning to keep it a 3-0 game. 

The Lady Saints added to their lead in the bottom half of the inning getting a Clarendon error to extend the inning and then a two run home run against the wind from Allen to put them up 6-0. 

It remained a 6-0 game into the 4^th when Clarendon got on the board for the first time with a solo home run to start the inning, but another Seward double play averted further trouble and kept the Lady Saints out in front 6-1. 

With the score still 6-1 in the 5^th, the Lady Saints loaded the bases with nobody out on a single from Allen and a pair of walks.  A double play looked as if it was going to stymie any shot of a Seward run rule win, but a line drive triple from Joe Ann Rapoza scored two runs and three pitches later a single from Vanessa Oakden scored Rapoza to put game one in the books 9-1. 

Seward outhit Clarendon 7-3 in the win.  Allen led the Lady Saints offense with a 3 for 3, three RBI game as the sophomore first baseman missed hitting for the cycle by just a triple in the victory.  Rapoza also had a multi-hit game for the Lady Saints, going 2 for 3 with 2 RBI's out of the seven hole.  Hopkins earned the win in the circle for the Lady Saints, going all 5 innings and allowing just 3 hits and 1 run while striking out 3 Clarendon hitters. 

SEWARD COUNTY/CLARENDON GAME ONE BOX SCORE

Game two of the twinbill didn't get off to such a promising start for the Lady Saints as Clarendon outdid their game one offensive production with just one swing in their half of the 1^st inning, getting a two run home run to give them an early 2-0 lead. 

Seward remained behind 2-0 into the 4^th when the a pair of Lady Saint errors allowed Clarendon to extend the inning and extend upon their two run lead.  With the bases loaded and two outs a blunder on the infield allowed one Bulldog run to score and three pitches later another Seward error let two more Clarendon runs to cross to make it a 5-0 game. 

It looked like the game was headed to the 5^th with the score still 5-0 until Seward's Tiffanie Bolanos launched a solo home run on the first pitch she saw with two outs in the Seward half of the 4^th to make it a 5-1 game and after reloading the bases on a pair of singles and a walk, an RBI knock from Vogelaar plated another run to make it 5-2. 

Seward used some gifts from Clarendon to get their offense jumpstarted in the 5^th inning as they loaded the bases without the benefit of a hit after a Bulldog error and a pair of one out walks.  Chavez stepped up with the pillows full and delivered a 2 RBI single to left to get the Lady Saints to within one and another RBI single later in the inning from Oakden put Seward on top for the first time in the game 6-5.

Lady Saints reliever Brittany Hopkins worked a quick top half of the 6^th inning for Seward, picking up a pair of strikeouts in the process and the Lady Saints added an insurance run on a wild play with two outs in the bottom of the inning when Danielle Orr picked up an infield RBI double thanks to the wind to make it a 7-5 contest. 

Clarendon started their half of the 7^th with a single to bring the tying run to the plate, but Hopkins induced a groundout, then got a strikeout and a fly out to finish things up and close things out in a 7-5 win for the Lady Saints. 

After entering the game facing a 5-2 deficit, Hopkins held the Bulldogs in check, allowing just 1 hit in 3 shutout innings of work while striking out 3 to earn her second win of the day.  Seward finished with 9 hits in the win, getting 2 for 3 efforts from Bolanos and Chavez who combined for 3 runs scored and 3 RBI's as well. 

SEWARD COUNTY/CLARENDON GAME TWO BOX SCORE

Seward improves their overall record to 28-7 on the year with the two victories while Clarendon falls to 7-24.   The Lady Saints will conclude their six game homestand on Saturday afternoon at Lady Saints Field in Liberal when they entertain the Dodge City Lady Conquistadors in a 2:00 double header.