Lady Saints Sweep Double Header Over Western Oklahoma

The Seward County Lady Saints got back on track Wednesday afternoon in Altus, Oklahoma, picking up 8-5 and 17-7 wins over Western Oklahoma State to improve their 2016 record to 3-6. 

Seward wasted no time in jumping on the Pioneers right away in game one of the double header, scoring three times in the top half of the 1^st inning, getting RBI doubles from Brittany Corrales and Hannah Lopez to go in front 3-0.   Western Oklahoma got a run back in the bottom of the 1^st, but the Lady Saints responded with another crooked number in the 2^nd as Callie Silvers-Harnly singled home a run, Hannah Clark ripped a double to plate another and Kristyna Garcia and Lopez singled  home three more to blow the Seward lead open to 8-1.  Lady Saints starter Kelly Kearney kept the Pioneers right there for the next two innings until Western was able to squeeze across a run in the bottom of the 4^th to make it 8-2.  Seward's bats went cold and the Pioneers got back into the game in the 5^th, scoring three times in the frame to cut the Lady Saints advantage to 8-5.   Again the Lady Saints couldn't get anything going offensively in the 6^th and 7^th innings, but they didn't need it as Kearney blanked the Pioneers as well in those two frames to close out an 8-5 win for Seward. 

The Lady Saints outhit Western 8-5 in the contest, getting a 2 hit, 2 RBI game from Lopez in the process.  Eight of nine Seward starters had hits in the win while five different players recorded an RBI.  Kearney earns the win for the Lady Saints, improving to 2-1 overall on the year.  She went the distance, allowing 8 hits and 5 runs, just 1 of those earned while striking out 3. 

SEWARD COUNTY/WESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE GAME ONE BOX SCORE

Seward struck first again in game two of the double header, getting a two run bomb from Venice Batts in the 2^nd inning to jump ahead 2-0.  Lady Saints starter Jaidyn Mawhinney held the Pioneers without a run through four, holding Seward's 2-0 lead into the 5^th.  Seward blew the game open in the 5^th, getting a pair of runs on RBI groundouts and a three run home run from Clark to go in front 7-0.  Mawhinney worked another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the 5^th for Seward and scored three more times in the top of the 6th, two on a single from Silvers-Harnly up the middle and another on an RBI groundout from Kennedy Brunson to make it 10-0.  Western Oklahoma finally broke through in the 6^th, getting a pair of runs to make it 10-2 but Seward still had a chance to kick the run rule in with two outs in the inning before the Pioneers picked up a hit to plate their third run of the inning to keep the game going at 10-3.  The Lady Saints got the runs right back in the top of the  7^th as Garcia and Yolanda Corral doubled on back to back pitches to clear the bases and score three runs to make it 13-3, but Seward wasn't done.  With two outs in the inning Brunson drove another run home with a single to make it 14-3 and Corrales blasted a 2-0 pitch over the right field wall for a three run home run after that to blow the game open to 17-3.  Western Oklahoma continued to fight, scoring four times in the 7^th, but it was too little too late for the Pioneers as Mawhinney induced a ground ball to end things in a 17-7 Seward County win. 

The Lady Saints exploded on offense in the win, rapping 16 hits in the contest.  All nine starters had at least one hit and all nine also scored at least one run.  Clark led the charge with 4 hits and 3 RBI's in the win while Brunson went 3 for 5 with 2 RBI's and 2 runs scored at the top of the lineup.  Mawhinney used the offensive support to earn her first game of the year in the circle.  The sophomore righthander went the distance, allowing 10 hits and 5 earned runs. 

SEWARD COUNTY/WESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE GAME TWO BOX SCORE

The two victories push the Lady Saints to 3-6 on the young season.  Seward will return to action on Saturday in their 2016 home opener at Lady Saints Field in Liberal when they host the Northeastern Plainswomen in a 2:00 double header.