O'Brien's Perfect Game Highlights Lady Saints Weekend in Lamar

While she has had a spectacular rookie season for the Seward County Lady Saints, nothing could prepare Alexa O'Brien for what was about to happen this weekend in Lamar, Colorado as Seward took on Otero and Lamar in a pair of non-conference doubleheaders.  Friday the Lady Saints struggled and were swept 4-3 and 7-0 by Otero, but Saturday, O'Brien got Seward back on track, throwing the first perfect game in Seward County history in a 13-0 win over Lamar.  The Lady Saints backed up the perfecto with a 7-4 win over the Lopes in their final game of the weekend to earn their 30^th win of the 2015 season. 

In what has become one of the Lady Saints biggest non-conference rivalries, the Lady Saints got off to a good start in their opener against the Otero Rattlers on Friday, getting a pair of runs on an RBI single from Hannah Clark in the 2^nd inning and plating another on a groundout by Danielle Orr to jump in front 3-0. 

The Lady Saints had a chance to extend upon their lead in the next inning, putting their first two runners on, but the middle of the Seward order couldn't come through, and it would come back to bite them later as it remained a 3-0 game. 

Otero didn't score their first run of the game until the 5^th and they didn't have to do much to get them.  Seward pitching walked four Rattler hitters in the inning and a Lady Saints error and a wild pitch allowed home three runs to tie the game at 3. 

Seward had a chance to take the lead back in the 6^th, putting runners on the corers with just one out, but a double play ended their threat and the game remained knotted at 3. 

The missed chances finally cost the Lady Saints in the top of the 7^th as Otero again used a Seward mishap, this one on an error to start the inning, to score the go ahead run making it a 4-3 game. 

Down to their last out in the bottom of the 7^th, the Lady Saints showed some life, getting back to back singles to again put runners on the corners, but once again they couldn't get the run home, leaving the two ducks on the pond to end the game, falling 4-3. 

The Lady Saints lost the game despite outhitting the Rattlers 10-2 in the contest.  Jaidyn Mawhinney, Kolby Hamilton, and Tiffanie Bolanos each had 2 hits for the gals in green while Clark drove in 2.  Jaclyn Wagner took the loss in the circle, falling to 15-7 on the year, allowing 3 runs in 4 1/3 innings pitched while striking out 5 and walking 5.   

SEWARD COUNTY/OTERO GAME ONE BOX SCORE

Seward continued to have trouble hitting with runners in scoring position in the second game of the doubleheader, leaving four runners on through three innings to remain without a run against the Rattlers. 

Otero didn't manage much more, taking until a pair of two out singles in the 3^rd to get their first run of the game to grab a 1-0 lead. 

The Lady Saints offense remained quiet through the middle innings and Otero took advantage, stretching their lead to 3-0 after a Seward error in the 5^th allowed them to plate a pair of runs. 

The Rattlers blew the game open in the 6^th, getting three straight singles to score twice and a walk, a Seward error, and a hit batter with two outs in the inning to get two more to make it a 7-0 game as the Lady Saints came to hit in their final at bats. 

Seward couldn't get anything going in the 7^th and went down without a fight 7-0 as the Rattlers finished off the doubleheader sweep. 

The Lady Saints finished the game with more errors (5) than hits (4) and no Seward player had more than one hit in the contest.  Alexa O'Brien took the loss in the circle, allowing 6 runs, 4 earned in 5 1/3 innings of work to fall to 13-9 on the year. 

SEWARD COUNTY/OTERO GAME TWO BOX SCORE

It was a new day, a new opponent, and a new outlook for the Lady Saints as they took the field Saturday afternoon against Lamar. 

The difference was evident right off the bat for the Lady Saints as they scored three times in the top half of the 1^st inning against the Lopes, getting an RBI single from Clark and a two run bomb from Vanessa Oakden to take an early 3-0 lead. 

The Lady Saints stretched their lead to 4-0 in the 2^nd, getting an RBI single from Joe Ann Rapoza and Seward starting pitcher Alexa O'Brien kept the score right there with her second straight 1-2-3 inning to send the game to the 3^rd with Seward in front 4-0. 

The Lady Saints blew the game open in the 3^rd, getting five straight singles, including RBI knocks from Danielle Orr and Rapoza to make it a 7-0 game.  They didn't stop there, getting two more singles from Jaidyn Mawhinney and Kolby Hamilton to score three more runs to take a 10-0 advantage.

O'Brien remained in control, retiring the Lamar side in order in the 3^rd and Seward added another run on an RBI groundout from Kennedy Brunson to push their lead to 11-0. 

From there it was the O'Brien story as the Lady Saint freshman worked her fourth straight 1-2-3 inning in the 4^th and did the unthinkable in the 5^th, striking out the first two batters she saw before getting a fly out to finish off the first perfect game in Seward County history as the Lady Saints won game one 13-0. 

O'Brien struck out 8 in her perfect game, retiring all 15 batters she saw in the contest to improve to 14-9 on the year.  The Seward offense backed her with 17 hits, getting knocks from all nine starters and 11 players total in the win.  Vanessa Oakden finished a perfect 3 for 3 with 2 RBI's while Joe Ann Rapoza was 2 for 3 with 3 RBI's. 

SEWARD COUNTY/LAMAR GAME ONE BOX SCORE

There was no hangover for the Lady Saints in game two of the twinbill as they scored five 1^st inning runs on RBI's from Clark, Oakden, Brunson, and Orr to take a 5-0 lead. 

Lamar got a run back in the bottom half of the inning, but Seward answered that run and picked up another in the 3^rd on a two RBI single from Mawhinney to make it a 7-1 game. 

It remained a 7-1 game into the 5^th when the Lopes got their second run of the game on a Seward throwing error to cut the Lady Saints lead to 7-2. 

Seward's offense went ice cold after the big start and the score stayed 7-2 to the 7^th and final inning. 

In the 7^th Lamar made things interesting, scoring twice and bringing the game tying run to the on deck circle before the Lady Saints closed them out 7-4 to sweep the doubleheader. 

The Lady Saints pounded out double digit hits for the second straight game with 11 in the win.  Seward got 2 hits and 2 RBI's each from Mawhinney and Clark and also got 2 hits apiece from Bolanos and Brunson.  Wagner earned the win, going the distance and striking out 7 to improve to 16-7 on the season.  

SEWARD COUNTY/LAMAR GAME TWO BOX SCORE

Seward picks up their 30^th win of the season in the process of the weekend.  The Lady Saints now sit 30-18 overall on the year as they head back into the stretch run of Jayhawk West Conference play starting with a 2:00 doubleheader on the road at Butler on Tuesday.