BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
NEWTON – The good news? The Great Bend softball team scored four runs Thursday after going scoreless in its season-opening doubleheader.
The bad news? Great Bend yielded 34 runs in a doubleheader sweep against Newton 13-1 and Valley Center 22-3.
NEWTON 13, PANTHERS 1 (G1) – Great Bend's Pamela Bujanda doubled home Paige Thexton in the fourth inning for the Panthers' first run of the season. Sydney Unruh and Analiz Rivas singled for the Panthers' other two base hit. Newton pitcher Tegan Livesay struck out nine batters.
Newton scored two runs in the first and third innings, six in the second and three in the fourth inning. Newton's Mallory Seirer, Toria Thaw, Livesay and Abby Koontz each drove home two runs. Seirer and Livesay each delivered three hits. The Railroaders ripped out eight extra-base hits, including a home run by Abby Koontz.
Great Bend 000 10 – 1 3 2
Newton 262 3x – 13 16 0
Thexton and Bownes. Livesay and Rains. W—Livesay, 1-2. L—Thexton, 0-2. 2B—GB—Bujanda; N—Rains, Thaw, Sandoval, Livesay, Koontz. 3B—N—Rains, Seirer. HR—N—Koontz
VALLEY CENTER 22, PANTHERS 3 (G2) – Valley Center scored five first-inning runs and rolled past the Panthers 22-3 in Thursday's opener. The Hornets stung the Panthers with an 11-run fifth inning.
Valley Center's Kennedy Johnson drove home four runs with four hits. Mykah Klumpp doubled, tripled and scored four runs and drove home three runs. Maci George doubled and tripled, scored four runs and drove home two runs. Sykora Smith drove home two runs and scored three times.
Great Bend's Brenna Bownes singled home Sydney Unruh in the third inning. Paige Thexton scored on an error and Bownes scored on a passed ball after they reached base to start the fifth inning.
The Panthers missed two other golden opportunities. Unruh and Thexton reached base to start the third inning. Lauryn Davis and Brooke McReynolds reached base to start the fourth inning.
Valley Center 523 0(11) – 21 22 2
Great Bend 001 02 – 3 5 0
Turner, Blackwood (4), Crumbliss (5) and Johnson. Post, Miller (3), Thexton (4) and Bownes. W—Turner. L—Turner. 2B—VC—Klumpp, George, Meyer. 3B—VC—Klumpp, George, Blackwood, Hooper
ELLINWOOD, SKYLINE 0 – Manhattan
Ellinwood 000 000 0 – 0 0 0
Skyline 000 000 0 – 0 0 0
Turner and Bownes. Goos and Neitzel. W—Goos. L—Turner. 2B—M—Goos, Kolterman, Hacker
ELLINWOOD, SKYLINE 0 – Manhattan
Ellinwood 000 000 0 – 0 0 0
Skyline 000 000 0 – 0 0 0
Turner and Bownes. Goos and Neitzel. W—Goos. L—Turner. 2B—M—Goos, Kolterman, Hacker
ELLINWOOD, SKYLINE 0 – Manhattan
Ellinwood 000 000 0 – 0 0 0
Skyline 000 000 0 – 0 0 0
Turner and Bownes. Goos and Neitzel. W—Goos. L—Turner. 2B—M—Goos, Kolterman, Hacker
ELLINWOOD, SKYLINE 0 – Manhattan
Ellinwood 000 000 0 – 0 0 0
Skyline 000 000 0 – 0 0 0
Turner and Bownes. Goos and Neitzel. W—Goos. L—Turner. 2B—M—Goos, Kolterman, Hacker
