Big Bats Carry Seward Past Lamar

The Seward County Lady Saints pounded out 27 hits and scored 23 runs Saturday afternoon in Lamar, Colorado, knocking off the Lamar Runnin' Lopes 11-7 and 12-4 in sweeping fashion to improve to 15-4 to start the 2017 season.

Lamar got on the board first in game one, scoring a pair of 1^st inning runs to jump out to an early 2-0 lead on the Lady Saints.

Seward answered back as Sydney Epp doubled to begin the Lady Saints 2^nd and Jullian Atteberry drove her home to make it a 2-1 game. 

The Lady Saints tied the score at 2 in the 3^rd as Leena Mortensen singled home a run and then took a 4-2 lead as Epp ripped her second double in as many innings to score a pair to put Seward up two.  The Lady Saints weren't done there as they scored twice more in the frame on wild pitches to finish off a five run inning to take a 6-2 lead.

A two run home run for Lamar cut the Seward lead in half in the bottom of the 3^rd, but the Lady Saints struck right back in their next at bats, getting an RBI double from Kristyna Garcia and another RBI single from Mortensen to make it 8-4.  Seward continued to do damage with two outs in the inning, plating two more later in the frame on a double from Atteberry to stretch their lead to 10-4. 

Lamar got a two out run in the bottom of the 5^th, but Garcia answered with a leadoff home run in the Seward 6^th to make it an 11-5 game. 

That's where things would go to the 7^th and got interesting for the Lady Saints.  Lamar put their first three hitters of the inning on base, loading them up with no one out.  A sac fly plated one Lope run and an infield single pushed another across to make it 11-7.  With the tying run in the on deck circle, the Lopes stalled though, popping out in consecutive at bats as the Lady Saints held on for the 11-7 win.

Seward outhit Lamar 15-13 in the slugfest, getting multiple hits from each of the first six hitters in their order including three hits each from Garcia and Epp.  Monique Ashley improved to 8-1 on the mound, going the distance while allowing 13 hits and 7 earned runs for Seward. 

SEWARD COUNTY/LAMAR GAME ONE BOX SCORE

The Lady Saints continued their momentum right into game two as Epp crushed another double to drive home two in the 1^st to give Seward the early 2-0 lead. 

Lamar got a run back in the 1^st, but Seward answered again in the 2^nd as they took advantage of four walks to score a pair of runs to make it a 4-1 game. 

A solo home run for the Lopes in the 2^nd cut the Seward lead to two and Lamar got back to within one with another run in the 3^rd to make it 4-3. 

The Lady Saints extended their lead back to four in the 4^th as Atteberry singled home a run and Kaitlin Ammermann singled home two more to make it 7-3.  Later in the inning, a misplayed fly ball in center field allowed the Lady Saints to add another tally to give them an 8-3 lead midway through. 

A Lamar run in the 4^th made it 8-4, but Seward continued to swing it in the 5^th, scoring four more times on three consecutive RBI singles and a groundout to stretch their lead to 12-4. 

Seward starter Macy Pritchard shut Lamar down in the 5^th, retiring the Lopes in order to force the run rule as the Lady Saints completed the sweep with a 12-4 win. 

Seward pounded out 12 hits in the five inning win, getting three hits and two RBI's each from Atteberry and Epp.  Pritchard earned the win in the circle for the Lady Saints, allowing six hits and four runs in a complete game effort. 

SEWARD COUNTY/LAMAR GAME TWO BOX SCORE

Seward improves to 15-4 on the year with the wins while Lamar continues a slow start at 3-9. 

The Lady Saints will be back in action Monday at Lady Saints Field in Liberal as they take on Northern Oklahoma-Enid in a 2:00 start.