Williams Leads Laser Show As Saints Complete Sweep of Pratt

As the brisk spring air turns to a warmer summer wind, pitchers around the Jayhawk Conference had better take note.  After taking both games against visiting Pratt on Saturday at Brent Gould Field, the Seward County Saints offense remained red hot on day two of the series as redshirt freshman Brent Williams led a hit parade that finished the day with 39 runs  as the Saints erased an early 11-0 deficit to win game one of the double header 18-14 before blowing the Beavers away 21-2 in the series finale to sweep the series and get back in the race for the Jayhawk West crown. 

To say the least, things didn't get started so well for the Saints  game one of their Sunday double header, game three of their series at Brent Gould Field against the Pratt Beavers.  After being down to their final strike of the 1^st inning, Pratt smacked back to back doubles and took advantage of a Seward error to grab an early 3-0 lead on the Saints. 

Things didn't get any better for the Saints in the 2^nd as three Seward County errors and three free passes by Seward starter Pete Macke allowed four more Beaver runs to score to make it a 7-0 game in favor of Pratt.  The Beavers weren't done there though as they got back to back two run singles to score four more runs and after 1 ½ innings of play, the Saints found themselves in an 11-0 hole. 

With the wind blowing out stiffly, the Saints knew that they weren't out of this one just yet and Seward was able to score three runs in the bottom half of the 2^nd inning on an RBI single from John Solberg and a two out RBI double from Reed Thompson to cut the Pratt lead to 11-3. 

Reliever Grant Glaze dealt a quick 1-2-3 top half of the 3^rd for the Saints and they were back at the plate ready to cut deeper into the Pratt advantage. 

Brent Williams and Jordan Leinweber hammered back to back doubles to start the Seward 3^rd to score a run and after an infield single from Kevin Connolly and a bloop single from Brandon Rix, the Saints had the bases loaded with one out.  Solberg worked the count full with the pillows packed and ripped a triple down the line in right to clear the bases to cut the Pratt lead to 11-7.  After Hayden Killam was hit by a pitch, Thompson lined a double to left center field and the ball skipped under the glove of the Beavers center fielder all the way to the wall.  Thompson raced around second and got the green light from Head Coach Galen McSpadden at third and scored easily on the play after the two base error to make it 11-10. 

Glaze put up another zero in the 4^th, getting help by a double play from his defense and the Saints carried all the momentum into their half of the 4^th frame. 

Another big two out hit from Solberg, this one a double, drove home Jake Fuller to tie the game and Solberg scored one pitch later as the birthday boy Killam scalded a single through the box to give the Saints a 12-11 lead. 

Glaze continued his control of the Beavers lineup with a third straight zero in the 5^th and the Saints kept on hitting in the bottom half of the inning. 

A one out single from Leinweber and a double from Connolly put two runners in scoring position for Fuller who singled to right to bring Leinweber home to make it a 13-11 game.  After working the count to 2-0, Rix picked the perfect time for his first career home run, lining a ball over the left field wall for a three run shot to give the Saints a 16-11 lead. 

Pratt got their first offense in three innings in the 6^th as they put together four singles to score three times to make it a 16-14 game. 

The Saints answered right back, this time it was a Williams double to lead off the inning and a line drive home run from Leinweber over the right field wall to score two more Saint runs to open their lead to 18-14. 

On for his second inning of relief out of the Saints bullpen, sophomore Adam Guay made quick work of the Beavers in the top half of the 7^th, getting two strikeouts to start the inning and a groundout to third to finish things up to give Seward an 18-14 comeback win to clinch the series. 

The Saints pounded out 18 hits in the win as 8 of 9 Seward starters had at least one knock in the contest.  Solberg led the Saints attack in game three of the series, missing the cycle by just a home run as he finished 3 for 3 with a double, a triple, and 5 RBI's.  Leinweber and Rix also had big games at the plate for the Saints, each collecting 3 hits and 3 RBI's while homering in the win.  In a rare start in the leadoff spot for Seward, Thompson couldn't have been better, going 3 for 3 with 3 doubles and 3 RBI's and also walking twice, reaching base in all 5 plate appearances in the game.  Glaze earned his first collegiate victory for the Saints, going  4 innings out of the Seward bullpen, allowing 5 hits and 2 runs while striking out 2.  Guay came in to record his 3^rd save of the year with 1 2/3 innings of 2 hit baseball. 

SEWARD COUNTY/PRATT GAME THREE BOX SCORE

In the series finale it was the Beavers again jumping in front early on as sophomore third baseman Justin Crouch launched a home run over the center field wall with two outs in the 1^st to give Pratt the early 1-0 lead. 

The Saints put two on but couldn't score in the bottom half of the 1^st and then loaded the bases in the 2^nd before striking out without pushing a run across as they remained behind 1-0 into the 3^rd. 

Seward starter Keenan Hall was sharp for the Saints in the top half of the 3^rd, striking out the side against the Beavers to keep it a one run game. 

That's when the inning that seemingly would never end came.  Williams led off the Saints half of the 3^rd with a bomb over the center field wall to tie the game at 1 and back to back singles from Leinweber and Connolly put two on with nobody out.  A walk loaded the bases and another Beaver walk forced home a run to make it 2-1 Saints.  A fielder's choice to put the first out of the inning on the board and a sac fly scored the Saints third run of the frame, leaving two on with two out.  A walk reloaded the bases and what happened from there was hard on the eyes.  Three different Pratt pitchers walked the next six Seward hitters of the inning, allowing the Saints to score six runs without swinging the bat and just like that they led 9-1 after 3. 

After the long Saints half of the 3^rd, Hall worked another quick inning against the Beavers in the 4^th, getting the Saints right back to the plate with a chance to extend upon their lead. 

Rix and Thompson singled to start the Saints half of the 4^th and Williams slammed another bullet off the wall for a double to score both runners to make it an 11-1 game.  A walk and a single from Connolly loaded the bases with one out and another bases loaded walk from the Beavers pushed home a run to make it 12-1.  A sacrifice fly off the bat of Mason Marshall gave the Saints their fourth run of the inning and after 4 it was the Saints comfortably in front 13-1. 

Pratt scored an unearned run in the 5^th to make it 13-2, but Hall got a fly out off the bat of Crouch to avert further damage in the inning. 

The Saints kept on hitting in their half of the 5^th, just like in the 4^th, getting singles from Rix and Thompson to start the inning and a one out double from Williams to drive home a run to make it 14-2.  A Pratt error allowed another Seward run to score and Connolly unloaded on a 2-2 pitch over the trees in left field for a three run shot behind the miscue to give the Saints an 18-2 lead.  With two outs in the inning Rix continued his big day, drilling the first pitch he saw into the gap for a double to score two more runs to make it 20-2 Saints. 

A triple from Bryson Allen and another RBI hit from Williams gave the Saints a 21-2 lead after 6 and Hall finished things off in style, getting his 8^th strikeout of the game to wrap up the 21-2 run rule win for the Saints to complete the sweep. 

The Saints offense pounded out 17 hits in the win and Pratt pitching walked 15 Seward batters to help the Saints out even further.  Williams ended a remarkable week with maybe his best performance of the season as he went 4 for 5 with 2 doubles, a home run, and 6 RBI's in the victory.  Rix continued to swing a hot bat, going 3 for 4 with a double and 3 RBI's for Seward while Connolly was 3 for 5 with a home run and 4 RBI's for and Leinweber and Marshall each had 2 hits and 2 RBI's in the win.  Overshadowed by the offensive outburst, Hall was solid on the mound for the Saints in the series finale.  The sophomore righty went the distance, allowing just 6 hits and 2 runs, 1 earned, while striking out 8 Beaver hitters to earn the win. 

SEWARD COUNTY/PRATT GAME FOUR BOX SCORE

The sweep is the fourth straight for Seward over Pratt at Brent Gould Field.  The Saints have also now won the season series with the Beavers in 10 straight seasons.  Seward improves to 22-16 overall with the sweep and gets back in the hunt atop the Jayhawk West standings where they sit at 12-8 and in 3^rd place.  Pratt continues a rough 2014 as they fall to 13-22 overall and remain in the cellar in the Jayhawk West at just 2-14. 

The Saints schedule will lighten considerably over the next week as they play Wednesday at Frank Phillips before taking the weekend off on their Jayhawk West bye.