Bats Go Silent As Lady Saints Split with Broncbusters

LIBERAL, Kan. – It was a tough day at the plate for the Seward County softball team (30-16, 17-3 KJCCC) splitting with the Garden City Broncbusters.  The Lady Saints won game one 2-1 before getting run-ruled 11-0 in five innings in game two.

GAME ONE RECAP

Monique Ashley (21-4) started in the circle and did all she could to help the Lady Saints pick up the win in what turned into a pitcher's duel. She pitched a complete game, giving up six hits and allowing one unearned run.

Seward finished with just five hits in the game with Kaitlin Ammermann, Adeline Owen, Miranda Nester, Paige St. Pierre and Raelyn Sanchez each coming away with one hit.  Nester and St. Pierre came away with the two RBI that ended up being enough to give the Lady Saints the win.

The Lady Saints went until the fourth inning before getting a base runner off of Ammermann's single, but a double play ended the inning for a fourth straight 1-2-3 inning for Seward.

The fifth inning was the first that Seward didn't have their side retired, getting two base runners off of two errors.

With the game still scoreless in the final inning of play, Owen reached base with one out to give the Lady Saints some life.  A ground out by Corinna Porras caused an error on the play to allow Owen to reach third base, but Seward had two outs.

Nester put the Lady Saints on the board with a two-out RBI single to right field to give Seward a 1-0 lead.  On the play, the right field misplayed the ball to allow Nester to reach third base.  Paige St. Pierre gave the Lady Saints the decisive run with a line drive single to right field to score Nester and make it 2-0.

Seward started the bottom of the seventh with an error, but two straight outs made it appear the game was all but over.  A double with the next at bat cut the Seward lead to 2-1, but Ashley forced a lineout to left field to end the game and gave the Lady Saints the victory.

GAME TWO RECAP

Jordan Cordrey (9-9) couldn't find her rhythm in the circle in game two and the defense did her no favors.  The Broncbusters scored 11 runs off Cordrey in three innings, but only five were earned.  Corrina Porras pitching one inning in relief, not allowing any runs.

Seward couldn't get their bats going in game two either, finishing with seven hits.  Kaitlin Ammermann and Jullian Atteberry led the Saints with two hits apiece.

After getting two outs in the bottom of the first, an error by Porras jumpstarted a three-run inning for the Broncbusters.  One run scored off the error, while a double with the next at bat scored the second. Another error and single made the game 3-0.

Garden got three more in the second inning, once again starting with a two-out error.  A double and single pushed the three runs across the plate to increase the Garden City lead to six.

The scoring halted until the bottom of the fourth.  The first six batters reached base for the Broncbusters off five singles and one hit by pitch, scoring four more runs to give Garden a double-digit lead. Another single scored the final run of the game to make it 11-0. With the Lady Saints struggling to get hits, the game ended from the mercy rule.

Seward will be back in action on Monday when they host Northwest Tech at 2:00 p.m. at Lady Saints Field.