Desert Heats Lady Saints Up

After a cold start to 2016, the sun of the Arizona desert heated the Seward County Lady Saints up some on Tuesday as Seward swept a neutral site doubleheader from the Dawson Lady Buccaneers out of Montana to win their third and fourth straight games to improve to 11-17 on the year. 

Things didn't start well for the Lady Saints in game one as Dawson loaded the bases with one out in the top of the 1^st and scored a pair on a single up the middle to take an early 2-0 lead on Seward. 

The Lady Saints answered back in a big way in the bottom of the 2^nd, scoring six times, highlighted by a two run double by Hannah Clark with two outs in the inning to take their first lead of the game at 6-2. 

A solo home run for Dawson in the 3^rd made it a 6-3 game, but the Lady Saints matched that run with one of their own in the bottom half to push their lead back to four at 7-3. 

The Lady Saints added onto their lead in the 4^th when Taylor Kathler singled home a run and Jaidyn Mawhinney followed that with another RBI knock to make it 9-3. 

The game went to the 7^th with the score still 9-3 and it looked like the Lady Saints would coast to their tenth win of the season.  However that was not the case on this day as Dawson poked three singles to load the bases followed by a grand slam over the center field wall to in one swing of the bat make it a two run game at 9-7.  That was as close as the Bucs would get though as Seward starter Kelly Kearney got the final batter of the game to pop out foul to first base to put a final stamp on a 9-7 Lady Saints win. 

Each team had 12 hits in the contest with seven different Lady Saints collecting at least one hit.  Mawhinney led Seward with 3 hits and 2 RBI's at the top of the order while Kristyna Garcia and Kathler each had 2 hits and a run driven home.  Kearney earned the win in the circle, allowing 12 hits and  7 runs, all earned, while striking out 4 and walking 3 to improve to 7-5 on the year. 

SEWARD COUNTY/DAWSON GAME ONE BOX SCORE

There was little action early on in game two as Seward and Dawson were scoreless after two innings of play. 

The Lady Saints broke through in the 3^rd, getting a solo home run from Madeline Cordova to get things going and two more unearned runs later in the inning after a Buccaneer error to take a 3-0 lead.

It remained 3-0 in favor of Seward into the 5^th when Dawson cracked the scoreboard for the first time.  After loading the bases with two outs in the inning, the Bucs got a ringing double off the wall to clear the bases and tie the game at 3. 

 Each team got their leadoff man on in the 6^th but couldn't bring them around to score and the game went to the 7^th and final inning still knotted at 3. 

Kennedy Brunson led off the Seward 7^th with an infield single and Brittany Corrales walked behind her to put two on with nobody out.  After a sacrifice moved both runners into scoring position, Garcia took advantage, smacking a double to right to bring home both baserunners and put the Lady Saints in front 5-3. 

Mahwinney did the rest in the circle for the Lady Saints, retiring the Bucs in order in the 7^th to finish off a 5-3 win for Seward to sweep the doubleheader. 

Seward finished with 9 hits in the win, getting 3 each from Garcia and Brunson, Garcia driving home a pair including the game winner and Brunson scoring a pair including the game winner.  Mawhinney improved to 4-6 on the year with the win on the rubber, going the distance and scattering 7 hits while fanning 3. 

SEWARD COUNTY/DAWSON GAME TWO BOX SCORE

The Lady Saints continue their Arizona swing on Wednesday when they bounce over to Scottsdale to take on the Fighting Artichokes starting at 4:00.