Lady Saints Season Ends at Region VI Tourney

It most certainly wasn't the way that they wanted it to end, but as fate had it, the Seward County Lady Saints were the first ones out of the Region VI Championships in El Dorado this weekend, falling 6-4 in their opener to Garden City before being eliminated by Butler in a 13-5 run rule on Saturday. 

The Lady Saints got off to a good start against Garden in the early game Saturday, grabbing a 1-0 1^st inning lead on a two out RBI single from Vanessa Oakden and holding that 1-0 advantage to the 3^rd. 

Garden struck back in the 3^rd, loading the bases after two quick outs in the inning and picked up a bases clearing double to take their first lead of the game at 3-1. 

Seward got a run back in the 3^rd after a Garden City error extended the inning and allowed the Lady Saints to get another two out single from Oakden to cut the Buster lead to 3-2. 

Just as soon as they got close, the Lady Saints fell back behind by a crooked number as Garden City scored twice in the top half of the 4^th to push their lead back to 5-2. 

The Lady Saints made another run in the 5^th though, getting a leadoff home run from Tiffanie Bolanos and Oakden's third two out RBI of the game to once again make it a one run game at 5-4. 

Like before, right when they got on the Busters heels, Garden scratched across an insurance run, this one thanks to a Lady Saints error in the 6^th to make it a 6-4 game. 

Seward looked like they were primed to break through in the 6^th, loading the bases with two outs, but Garden handled a ground ball on the infield to end the threat and leave the sacks jacked for the Lady Saints at innings end. 

Down to their final out in the bottom of the 7^th, the Lady Saints brought the tying run to the plate after a two  out single from Danielle Orr, but a strikeout ended their chances and the game with Garden City hanging on to win 6-4. 

Seward had 11 hits in the game, but left 9 runners aboard as innings came to a close.  Oakden was the offensive hero in the defeat, going 3 for 4 with 3 RBI's, all of her damage coming on two out hits, while Jaidyn Mawhinney was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored at the top of the order.  Alexa O'Brien took the loss in the circle, allowing 4 hits and 5 runs in just 3 1/3 innings of work to drop to 17-14 on the year. 

SEWARD COUNTY/GARDEN CITY BOX SCORE

The loss dropped the Lady Saints to the losers bracket in the tournament and made their climb back to the top an imposing one. 

Their run through the elimination surprisingly started against Butler in a battle of the top two teams all year long in the Jayhawk West. 

The Lady Saints jumped on the Grizzlies early, scoring twice in the top half of the 1^st inning on two out RBI knocks from Oakden and Bolanos to grab a 2-0 lead. 

Butler answered though in the bottom of the inning, using a pair of Seward County errors to plate two runs of their own and tie the score at 2. 

Another Lady Saints error cost them a third run in the 2^nd as Butler took their first lead of the game at 3-2. 

The trend continued in the 3^rd for the Lady Saints as their fourth error of the game allowed Butler to score another unearned run and the Grizzlies kept it rolling after that, scoring another run later in the frame to make it a 5-2 game after 3.

Seward kept battling though, watching their first three hitters of the inning reach base in the 4^th to score a run to make it 5-3 and then with two outs in the inning Joe Ann Rapoza came through with a two run single to tie the score at 5. 

As soon as they caught up, the Lady Saints fell back behind in the bottom half of the inning, watching their fifth error of the game not only  not end the inning, but cost them a run and one batter later cost them two more on a home run to push Butler back out in front 8-5. 

Seward couldn't respond in the top of the 5^th and Butler remained on a roll in the bottom of the 5^th.  A walk and a two run home run made it a 10-5 game and a Seward error and a free pass on a walk put two on in front of a Morgan Wurts triple to push the score to 12-5.  Soon after, a ground ball in the infield plated the Grizzlies fifth run of the inning and just like that the Lady Saints season was over as Butler walked them off with a run rule 13-5. 

It was a sloppy game for both sides as Seward committed 6 errors and the Grizzlies 4.  The Lady Saints were outhit by Butler 11-7 in the loss.  Mawhinney and Kennedy Brunson each had 2 hits for Seward in the loss while Rapoza drove in 2.  Jaclyn Wagner took the loss in her final game as a Lady Saint, yielding 8 hits and  10 runs in 4 1/3 innings to end her year at 19-9. 

SEWARD COUNTY/BUTLER BOX SCORE

The Lady Saints finish their year 36-25 overall after limping to the finish line just 8-12 in their final 20 games.  Butler improved to 34-14 on the year with the win before being knocked out by Garden City in the next round of the tournament early Sunday.