Lady Saints Take Two to Close Spring Trip

Coming off of their first three game losing streak of the season, the #9 Seward County Lady Saints closed their annual Spring Break trip to Phoenix, Arizona with a good feeling, picking up a pair of wins Thursday afternoon against Mesa to improve to 24-7 overall on the year.

It took until the 3^rd inning to get the scoring going in the opener.  With one out in the inning Joe Ann Rapoza lifted off on her first collegiate home run on a 1-1 pitch to give the Lady Saints an early 1-0 lead.  Following Rapoza's bomb, Marissa Chavez doubled and with two outs in the frame Becky Allen was hit by a pitch to put two on with two out.  It looked like Seward's scoring would be done with the solo home run, but a two out Mesa error allowed both runners to score to give the Lady Saints a 3-0 lead after 2 1/2. 

Seward's lead was short lived though as Mesa scored three times in the bottom half of the inning, helped in part by a Lady Saints error in the field to tie the game at 3-3. 

The Lady Saints couldn't manage a hit through the 4^th or 5^th innings, but Seward starter Jaclyn Wagner kept the score tied by tossing a pair of scoreless frames against the Lady T-Birds to keep it a 3-3 game. 

Seward put two runners on in the 6^th but were unable to push anything across as a strikeout ended their threat and Mesa did the same in the bottom half of the inning as it remained 3-3.

Sophomore speedster Andrea Sitter singled with one out in the Seward 7^th and set the table for the middle of the order as she stole second base to give the Lady Saints two shots at the go ahead run.  Sitter advanced to third on a passed ball, but Seward couldn't cash her in immediately as a fly ball left her 60 feet from pay dirt with two outs in the inning.  That's when the reigning Jayhawk West Player of the Week Danielle Orr stepped to the plate and came through big in the clutch, lining a 2-1 pitch through a hole to score Sitter from third to give the Lady Saints the lead 4-3. 

Mesa threatened in the bottom of the 7^th, drawing a one out walk to put the tying run on base, but Wagner rose to the occasion, getting a groundout and a fly out to end the threat and the game as the Lady Saints hung on to win 4-3. 

The Lady T-Birds outhit Seward 7-5 in the game and the Lady Saints committed 3 errors to Mesa's 1.  However, the clutch hitting of Orr and Rapoza pushed Seward through the shortcomings as the pair combined for the Lady Saint sonly two RBI's of the game on their only hits of the game.  Wagner earned the win in the circle for Seward, going the distance and allowing 7 hits and 3 runs while fanning 3 Mesa hitters. 

#9 SEWARD COUNTY/MESA GAME ONE BOX SCORE

In the second game of the double header the Lady Saints struck right off the bat.  Chavez walked and Sitter picked up a bunt single to begin the game and Becky Allen drove them both in with a single to left to give the gals in green an early 2-0 advantage. 

The score remained that way into the 3^rd when Sitter was in the middle of more Seward County action.  Sitter walked with one out in the inning and again used her speed to put herself in scoring position with a stolen base before scoring on a sac fly from Orr to make it 3-0 Lady Saints. 

Mesa showed their first offensive fight in the contest in the bottom half of the inning, getting a pair of singles to start things off and cashing in both runners after a pair of Seward County errors to cut the Lady Saints lead to 3-2. 

The score remained 3-2 into the 5^th where Allen launched home run number six on the season and three on the week to put Seward County in front by a pair 4-2. 

Lady Saints starting pitcher Katelyn Craker worked a quick bottom half of the 5^th to keep Seward on top 4-2 and the Lady Saints tacked on an insurance run on a double from Vanessa Oakden to make it 5-2 after 4 ½ complete.

Craker stranded two Mesa runners as the Lady T-Birds threatened in the 6^th and did it once again in the 7^th to close things out and give the Lady Saints a 5-2 win to sweep the double header. 

Each side finished with 7 hits in the contest.  Seward got a 3 for 4 effort in the game from Allen who also drove in 3 runs for the Lady Saints.  Sitter finished 1 for 3 for Seward and stole 2 bases as well as scoring 2 runs.  Craker earned the win in the circle for the Lady Saints, going all 7 innings and allowing 7 hits and 2 runs while striking out a pair. 

#9 SEWARD COUNTY/MESA GAME TWO BOX SCORE

The Lady Saints wrap up their Spring Break trip 3-3 to move to 24-7 overall on the year.  The two losses set Mesa back to 7-19 on the season. 

Seward will make the long trek back from Arizona to play a six game home stand next week at Lady Saints Field in Liberal.  Seward will take on Colby Tuesday at 3:00, Clarendon Wednesday at 2:00, and Dodge City on Saturday at 2:00, all in double headers on their home turf.