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Big Inning & Sitter's Dramatics Lead Seward to Two Wins

Big Inning & Sitter's Dramatics Lead Seward to Two Wins

The Seward County Lady Saints took an eight game winning streak into Lamar, Colorado Monday afternoon as they took on a Runnin' Lopes team who entered the day having lost five straight.  The Lady Saints streak looked in doubt in both games, but in both contests Seward found a way to pull out the victories; albeit in very different ways. 

 

In their opener against Lamar, the Lady Saints got off to a quick start, scoring twice in the top half of the 1st inning on an RBI single from Tiffanie Bolanos to give them a 2-0 lead before the Lopes got a chance to hit. 

 

Lamar answered right away though, using three hits from their first four batters of the inning to score twice to tie the game up at 2. 

 

The Lady Saints got singles from Felisha Vogelaar and Andrea Sitter to start their half of the 2nd and with two outs in the inning Danielle Orr brought in Vogelaar with a single and a double from Tiffanie Bolanos scored Sitter and Orr to score to make it 5-2 Lady Saints. 

 

After a quick 1-2-3 inning by Seward starter Brittany Hopkins in the 2nd, the Lady Saints added another run on an RBI single from Sitter to push their lead to 6-2. 

 

A one out 3rd inning error for Seward proved costly for the gals in green as a double after the miscue scored Lamar's third run of the day and the Lopes got another run on what should have been the third out of the inning to make it a 6-4 game. 

 

Lamar got one run closer in the 4th after a leadoff walk turned into a Lope run later in the inning to make it a 6-5 ballgame. 

 

Seward broke out in a big way as they came to the plate in the 5th as Joe Ann Rapoza doubled to start the inning and Vogelaar picked up her third hit of the game to put two in scoring position with nobody out in the inning.  A triple by Pokey Ewell drove home both runs and Ewell scored on an RBI single from Becky Allen to quickly make it 9-5 Lady Saints.  They weren't done there as after a walk to Orr, Marissa Chavez lifted off on a 1-0 pitch, driving it over the center field wall for a three run home run to give Seward a 12-5 advantage.  Head Coach Andrea Gustafson then pulled the right string again for the Lady Saints, pinch hitting Carmen Hughes who hit the second pitch she saw over the fence for back to back home runs for Seward to make it a 13-5 game. 

 

With the wind out of their sails, Lamar went down quietly in the bottom half of the 5th as Hopkins retired the side in order to close out a 13-5 run rule win for the Lady Saints. 

 

Seward smashed out 17 hits in the win as 10 different Lady Saints had at least one hit in the victory.  Chavez was one of three Lady Saints to have 3 hits in the victory, going 3 for 4 with a home run and 3 RBI's while Sitter and Vogelaar also collected three knocks in the win.  The reigning Jayhawk West Pitcher of the Week Hopkins earned her 14th win of the season in the circle, going 5 innings and allowing 5 hits and 3 earned runs while striking out 3. 

 

SEWARD COUNTY/LAMAR GAME ONE BOX SCORE

 

Seward jumped out to another quick lead in game two of the double header as Bolanos tripled and Chavez doubled to score her to give the Lady Saints a 1-0 lead in the 2nd

 

It remained a 1-0 game into the 4th as Lady Saints starter Katelyn Craker held the Lopes at bay, but Lamar finally cracked the lefty in the 4th as Seward committed a defensive mistake to start the inning and two batters later a two run home run gave the Lopes the lead 2-1. 

 

Lamar added to their advantage in the 5th, using a leadoff double and a two out double to go in front 3-1 on Seward. 

 

The Lady Saints got a leadoff double of their own in the top half of the 6th inning as Becky Allen whacked one down the line and she later came around to score on a two out single from Chavez to cut the Lamar lead to one at 3-2. 

 

Craker got the Lady Saints a crucial zero in the bottom half of the 6th, getting a pair of strikeouts in the process to keep it a 3-2 game. 

 

With two quick outs in the Seward 7th, the Lady Saints looked like they were in trouble as leadoff hitter Andrea Sitter stepped to the plate with Seward down one.  However, after working the count to 2-1, Sitter ripped a line drive to right field, over the head of the Lamar outfielder and as the Lopes gave chase, the ball kicked ball in towards the infield.  Sitter raced around the bases and there was no stopping her once she got going as Sitter got the green light from Gustafson at third and motored around all the way to score on a most unlikely of happenings, an inside the park home run to tie the game at 3. 

 

Seward still had to hold the Lopes in the bottom of the 7th, which they did as Craker worked a 1-2-3 frame to send the game to extras knotted at 3. 

 

In the top half of the 8th Seward wasted no time in scoring as Allen drove home Ewell who started the inning at second base with the international tie-breaker to put the Lady Saints on top 4-3.  They didn't stop there as after a Lamar error, Bolanos picked up an RBI groundout to score Allen to make it a 5-3 game.  Another Lamar miscue plated the third Seward run of the inning to make it 6-3 and the Lopes third error of the inning allowed the Lady Saints to go in front 7-3. 

 

Lamar also cashed in their extra base runner immediately to start their half of the 8th, making it a 7-4 game and a walk brought the tying run to the plate with nobody out in the inning.  Craker induced a groundball for the first out of the inning and then got a fly out to keep the score 7-4.  With two outs in the inning Craker won a 10 pitch at bat, getting another fly out to end the threat and the game as the Lady Saints hung on to win 7-4. 

 

Seward finished with 9 hits in the game and took advantage of 5 Lamar errors in the contest.  Chavez once again led Seward with 3 hits in 4 chances while also driving in a pair of runs.  Allen finished 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI in the win.  Craker tossed all 8 innings for the Lady Saints, allowing 8 hits and 3 runs, 2 earned, while striking out 6 to earn her league leading 15th win of the season. 

 

SEWARD COUNTY/LAMAR GAME TWO BOX SCORE

 

The Lady Saints win their 10th straight contest, their longest winning streak since the 2010 season, and Seward's 32-7 record is also best since the Lady Saints 2010 World Series squad.  Lamar loses their sixth and seventh straight games, falling to 20-21 on the year. 

 

The wins setup yet another showdown between Seward and Jayhawk West rival Butler in El Dorado on Wednesday.  The Lady Saints will enter the double header with a 10 game win streak while the Lady Grizzlies, ranked #1 in the latest NJCAA rankings, have won 14 straight.