Saints Sneak Into Playoffs Despite Another Sweep

The Seward County Saints will sneak into the Region VI Tournament as the #16 seed in the 16 team tournament next weekend despite suffering their third sweep of the 2017 season on Friday at Williams Stadium in Garden City, falling 2-0 and 10-7 to the rival Garden City Broncbusters to finish the regular season 17-36 overall and 10-22 in Jayhawk West Conference play. 

Looking to get things going on the final day of the regular season on Friday, the Saints sent sophomore Brian Tims to the hill in game three of their series against the Garden City Broncbusters.  Tims did his part through the first two innings, keeping the Busters off the scoreboard, but the Saints couldn't manage any offense either as the two teams went to the bottom of the 3^rd inning scoreless. 

Garden broke through in their half of the 3^rd with a solo home run to make it a 1-0 game and then tallied their second run of the game in the 4^th on a one out double to make it 2-0. 

The Saints put the tying runs on in the top of the 5^th, but a strikeout ended their threat and Seward wasted a leadoff single in a scoreless 6^th to keep it a 2-0 game after six complete. 

Seward got a two out single from Tim Fitzgerald in their final at bats in the 7^th, but couldn't muster any runs as they fell 2-0 in game three to give Garden City the series win. 

The Saints managed just five hits in the loss with no Seward players recording more than one hit in the contest.  Tims took the tough luck loss, falling to 2-9 on the year as he went the distance, allowing six hits and two runs while striking out one. 

SEWARD COUNTY/GARDEN CITY GAME THREE BOX SCORE

The Saints took just their second lead of the series in the 2^nd inning of game four as Trent Powell drove home a run with a groundout and Fitzgerald legged out an infield single to give Seward a 2-0 lead early on.

They held the lead until the 3^rd when Garden City answered with a two run inning of their own to make it a 2-2 game after three. 

The Busters were back at it in the 4^th, plating the go ahead run on a passed ball and another on a sacrifice fly to take a 4-2 advantage. 

Seward got things back to within one as Powell singled home his second run of the game in the 6^th to make it a 4-3 game, but the Busters answered with five of their own in the bottom half of the frame to open their lead back up to 9-3 after six. 

A two run single by Tims drew Seward to within four before stretch time, but Garden added an insurance run in the bottom of the 8^th to send the game to the final inning with the Busters leading 10-5. 

The Saints showed a little bit of fight in the top of the 9^th as they put their first three men on to load the bases with nobody out, but they weren't able to get the big hit, scoring twice on a passed ball and a groundout to make it a 10-7 game, but that is how it would end as the Busters completed their first sweep in program history over the Saints with a 10-7 win. 

Seward had 12 hits to Garden City's six in the loss, but the Saints committed seven errors, leading to nine unearned runs in the defeat.  Brendan Madsen and Errett Edwards each had three hits at the top of the lineup while Tims drove home three for the Saints.  Jonathan Castillo took the loss on the mound, going 5 1/3, allowing five hits and seven runs, just one earned to fall to 2-7 on the year. 

SEWARD COUNTY/GARDEN CITY GAME FOUR BOX SCORE

Seward completes the regular season 17-36, by far its worst regular season mark in program  history, while ending Jayhawk West play 10-22, six fewer wins than any other season since the conference schedule switched to a 32 game slate in 1997.  The Saints do sneak into the Region VI Tournament as the #16 seed in the 16 team tournament where they will travel on the road to Jayhawk East Champion Cowley Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (if necessary) in a best out of three series in Arkansas City.