BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

The 5-foot-1 Camdyn Post deserves the nickname “Camo.”

Post is a sparkplug for the Great Bend Panther softball team. She’s a bunting genius with the ability to deaden the softball time-after-time. Post, batting .500 (17 for 34), created havoc with her precise bunting skills that ignited a 15-3 and 8-0 Western Athletic Conference softball sweep over Dodge City Tuesday.

Panther pitchers Braelyn Turner (3-1, 2.69 ERA) and Chayla Prendergast (6-0, 2.40 ERA) combined for 25 strikeouts against Dodge City. Turner uses pitch movement and Prendergast relies on her speed.

"The pitchers have done an amazing job," said Great Bend coach Carrie Minton. "We like to take batters out of their routine."

Great Bend (10-1, 5-0 WAC) has swept Liberal and Dodge City with defending champion Hays (5-1, 4-0 WAC) and Garden City (3-2, 0-1 WAC) still to play  Great Bend plays Dodge City, Maize South (8-2), Goddard Eisenhower (3-5), Derby (9-1) and Wichita Northwest (4-2) at Dodge City starting Thursday. 

PANTHERS 15, DODGE CITY 3 (G1) –  Post executed a trio of effective bunts, twice scoring a run, and twice reaching first base safely.

Her defensive highlight was a perfect relay throw to third baseman Denver Ringo, who tagged Macy Musslin out on an Easha Potts line-drive single to centerfield.

“Sometimes, it scares me when I throw that far,” Post said. “I was glad my teammate Denver was there. I had confidence in myself and happy I could do that.”

Post said she’s refined her bunting skills with hard work.

“I work a lot on my bunting every day at practice,” she said. “I know my coach wants me to bunt. As long as I don’t push it out too much, I’m good. I love softball. We’re having quite a bit of fun.”

The Panthers scored six runs in the first inning and five runs in the third frame to highlight an 11-hit attack. Through 11 games, Kya Behr is batting .625 (25 for 40) and DeShawnna Bryant is batting .526 (20 for 38). Behr leads on-base percentage (.636) followed by Kamryn Koelsch (.600), Camdyn Post (.595), Thexton (.574) and Bryant (.571).

The Panthers converted seven walks and two errors into a run-rule victory.

Ringo doubled and drove home three runs. Thexton, Behr and Koelsch also drove home runs.

Turner recorded 13 strikeouts out of 15 Dodge City outs. Emma Bell drilled a 2-run homer and Tatum Steiner homered.

PANTHERS 8, DODGE CITY 0 (G2) – Prendergast spun a 5-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts. She stranded runners at third and second base by striking out Potts and Musslin in the first inning.

Bryant delivered a 2-run third inning double. Prendergast and Camdyn Post each converted 2-run singles in a 5-run fifth inning.

Dodge City 002 10 – 3 4 2

Great Bend 625 2x – 15 11 0

Venard, Steiner (3) and Thompson. Turner and Koelsch. W—Turner. 3-1. L—Venard. 0-3. 2B—GB—Behr, Ringo, Bryant. 3B—GB--Thexton. HR—DC—Bell, Steiner.

Dodge City 000 000 0 – 0 5 2

Great Bend 102 050 x – 8 12 0

Musslin and Steiner. Prendergast and Koelsch. W—Prendergast, 6-0. L—Musslin. 1-4. 2B- GB—Behr 2, Bryant.

WAC SOFTBALL

Great Bend 5-0 10-1

Hays 4-0 5-1

Garden City 0-1 3-2

Liberal 0-3 4-5

Dodge City 0-5 2-7 

THURSDAY Great Bend at Dodge City

FRIDAY Great Bend vs. Goddard Eisenhower/Maize South; Dodge City vs. Goddard Eisenhower/Maize South; Hugoton at Liberal; Hays vs. Derby, Wichita Northwest; Garden City vs. Derby, Wichita Northwest

SATURDAY Great Bend vs. Derby/Wichita Northwest; Dodge City vs. Derby/Wichita Northwest; Garden City vs. Manhattan/Junction City; Hays vs. Goddard Eisenhower/Maize South

GREAT BEND (5-0, 10-1)--WW Pratt 5-3, 5-1; WW Hutchinson 17-5, 14-4; W McPherson 8-6; L Manhattan 1-4; WWW Liberal 16-2, 15-4, 15-0; WW Dodge City 15-3, 8-0; 4-11 at Dodge City (1); 4-12 Goddard Eisenhower, Maize South; 4-13 Derby, Wichita Northwest; 4-16 at Hays (1); 4-18 Hays (2); 4-23 at Garden City (1); 4-25 Garden City (2); 5-7 Hays TMP 

HAYS HIGH (4-0, 5-1)--LL Valley Center 1-13, 5-11; WWW Dodge City 4-2, 10-4, 13-3; W Garden City 7-4; 4-12 Derby, Wichita Northwest; 4-13 Goddard Eisenhower, Maize South; 4-16 Great Bend (1); 4-18 at Great Bend (2); 4-22 at Garden City; 4-25 at Hays TMP; 4-26 at Salina Central; 4-30 Liberal (2); 5-2 at Liberal (1); 5-7 Salina South, Andover Central; 5-9 at Manhattan, Salina South

GARDEN CITY (0-1, 3-2)--WW Wichita North 24-4, 17-2; WL Goodland 8-0, 4-9; L Hays 4-7; 4-12 Wichita NW, Derby; 4-13 Junction City; Manhattan; 4-16 Liberal; 4-22 Hays High; 4-23 Great Bend (1); 4-25 at Great Bend (2); 4-26 Wichita Southeast; 4-30 Dodge City (2); 5-2 Dodge City (1); 5-3 at Scott City; 5-9 at Topeka    

LIBERAL (0-3, 4-7)--WW Bucklin 11-1, 14-6; L Hesston 0-1; L Kingman 5-12; LLL Great Bend 2-16, 4-15, 0-15; WW Wichita North 5-0, 25-3; LL Maize, McPherson 0-14; 4-12 Hugoton; 4-16 Garden City (1); 4-18 at Garden City (2); 4-25 at Cimarron; 4-30 at Hays (2); 5-2 Hays (1); 5-7 at Dodge City (1); 5-9 Dodge City (2)

DODGE CITY (0-5, 2-7)--WW Wichita South 16-0, 22-2; LLL Hays 2-4, 4-10, 3-13; LL Great Bend 3-15, 0-8; 4-11 Great Bend (1); 4-12 Goddard Eisenhower, Maize South; 4-13 Derby, Wichita Northwest; 4-18 Salina Central; 4-19 at Hays TMP; 4-23 Pratt; 4-25 at Wichita Heights; 4-30 Garden City (2); 5-2 Garden City (1); 5-7 Liberal (1); 5-9 at Liberal (2)