Seward Takes Pair From 'Yotes JV

The Seward County Lady Saints picked up a pair of much needed victories Tuesday afternoon in Salina, downing Kansas Wesleyan's JV squad 6-4, 6-2 in a double header to improve to 7-15 overall on the year. 

It took a while for either side to get going in game one as through three innings of action, Seward and Kansas Wesleyan had combined to leave seven runners on without tallying a single run to keep the game scoreless into the 4^th. 

The Lady Saints cracked the scoreboard first in the opener, manufacturing their first run of the game in the 4^th and scoring another run later in the inning on an RBI single from Venice Batts to go in front 2-0. 

Seward added to their lead in the 5^th, getting an RBI single from Brittany Corrales, an RBI double from Hannah Clark, and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kristyna Garcia to stretch their lead to 5-0. 

The Coyotes came back with a big 5^th of their own, scoring four runs on five hits to quickly cut the Seward lead to just one at 5-4. 

Seward added an insurance run in the top of the 7^th as Hannah Lopez drove home Corrales with a sac fly to make it 6-4 and starting pitcher Kelley Kearney did the rest, retiring the 'Yotes in order in the bottom of the 7^th to secure a 6-4 win for Seward. 

The Lady Saints outhit Kansas Wesleyan 10-8 in the contest, but it was 2 big Coyote errors that led to four unearned Seward runs that was the difference.  Corrales was a perfect 4 for 4 for the Lady Saints, scoring 2 runs and driving home another while Batts, Garcia, and Clark each had 2 hits for the gals in green.  Kearney earned the win, improving to 5-4 on the year, going all 7 innings, allowing 4 runs on 8 hits. 

SEWARD COUNTY/KANSAS WESLEYAN GAME ONE BOX SCORE

In game two it didn't take quite as long for the Lady Saints to get going as Batts hammered a pitch over the left field wall for a two run shot to give Seward a quick 2-0 lead in the 2^nd. 

Kansas Wesleyan responded, getting a run of their own in the 2^nd as Seward walked a run home with the bases loaded, but pitcher Jaidyn Mawhinney escaped further damage, getting a fly out to end the inning and keep it a 2-1 game in favor of the Lady Saints. 

The Coyotes tied the score in the 3^rd, getting a solo home run to lead off the inning to make it 2-2, but Seward answered with a big 4^th inning, scoring three times on RBI's knocks from Callie Silvers-Harnly and Madeline Cordova to retake the lead at 5-2. 

Kansas Wesleyan again loaded the bases in the 4^th, but again Mawhinney was able to wiggle out of trouble, leading the sacks packed at innings end after a groundout to keep the Lady Saints in front 5-2. 

It remained a 5-2 game into the 6^th when Seward added a run on another Silvers-Harnly RBI single to make it 6-2. 

That was all that Mawhinney needed, allowing just two Kansas Wesleyan baserunners in the final two innings to finish off a 6-2 win for the Lady Saints to sweep the double header. 

Seward held the edge in hits at 7-6 in the game while five of those hits were extra base hits for the gals in green.  Silvers-Harnly finished with 2 hits and 2 RBI's in the game while Batts was 1 for 2 with 2 RBI's and 3 runs scored in the win.  Mawhinney went the distance in the circle, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits to improve to 2-6 on the year. 

SEWARD COUNTY/KANSAS WESLEYAN GAME TWO BOX SCORE

The Lady Saints snap a three game losing streak with the victories, improving to 7-15 on the year. 

Seward's opponent will get a whole lot tougher on Wednesday when they travel to Great Bend to take on the defending Region VI Champion Barton Cougars in Jayhawk West action starting at 2:00.