HAYS – Great Bend’s softball team missed four opportunities to stay in the Western Athletic Conference race. The Panthers loaded the bases with no out and had running in scoring position three other times against WAC leader Hays High.
Hays pitcher Aubree Thomas preserved a 5-0 shutout by retiring nine batters with runners in scoring position in Thursday's second game. Hays (8-3, 8-1 WAC) won the opener 11-1 to drop Great Bend (6-6, 5-3 WAC) from league title contention.
HAYS 5, PANTHERS 0 (G2) – Great Bend pitcher Alyssa McCauley (1-1) held the Indians to zero earned runs in a solid performance. Hays converted a pair of Panther errors into five unearned runs. Avery Solida hit a 2-run single and Elle Dreiling and Morgen Berry delivered RBIs in a 4-run fifth inning.
Thomas stranded Panther baserunners in scoring position in the first, fourth, sixth and seventh innings. The Panthers batted 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position against Hays pitcher Thomas.
DeShawna Bryant recorded three hits. Halle Post doubled. Paige Thexton, Alyssa McCauley and Analiz Rivas singled.
Thexton reached third base in the first inning. The Panthers loaded the bases in the fourth inning. But Hays left fielder Lauren Klein turned Denver Ringo's fly ball into a double play on Bryant at home in a 1-0 game.
Thomas recorded three consecutive sixth-inning outs after Bryant and McCauley reached base. Ringo was stranded at third base after a seventh-inning double and Bryant single.
HAYS 11, PANTHERS 1 (G1) – Panther centerfielder Bryant delivered the game's signature play as catcher Lauryn Davis tagged Thomas out at home on Dezarae Schmidt's double.
Hays broke the game open with a 9-run second inning. Ashlyn Zimmer hit a 2-run double and Berry delivered two RBIs against Panther pitcher Thexton (2-3).
Thexton doubled home Ringo after a fifth-inning double. Mazouch and Bryant singled.
The Panthers travel to Liberal (2-9) Monday and return home Tuesday against Garden City (8-2).
Great Bend 000 01 – 1 4 2
Hays High 191 0x – 11 9 1
Thexton, Ringo (3) and Davis. Dreher and Solida. W—Dreher. L—Thexton, 2-3. 2B—GB—Thexton, Ringo; H—Schmidt, Zimmer. 3B—H—Thomas.
Great Bend 000 000 0 – 0 7 3
Hays High 100 040 x – 5 7 1
McCauley and Koelsch. Thomas and Zimmerman. W—Thomas. L—McCauley, 1-1. 2B—GB—Post.
WAC SOFTBALL
Hays High 8-1 8-3
Garden City 4-2 8-2
Great Bend 5-3 6-6
Liberal 0-5 2-9
Dodge City 0-6 1-7
4-14—Liberal 11-16, Hugoton 1-3
4-18—Hays 8, Great Bend 1; Garden City 10, Liberal 0
4-20--Hays 11-5, Great Bend 1-0; Garden City 12-5, Liberal 2-3; Dodge City at Hays-TMP (2)
HAYS (8-1, 8-3)—W *Garden City 13-6; LL Valley Center 0-20, 2-8; W *Dodge City 13-0; WW Dodge City 15-0, 16-0; WL *Garden City 5-1, 2-8; W *Great Bend 8-1; WW *Great Bend 11-1, 5-0; 4-27—Hays TMP (2); 5-2—*at Liberal (2); 5-5—*Liberal (1); 5-12—Manhattan, Newton
GREAT BEND (5-3, 6-6)—L Manhattan 3-9; L McPherson 4-16; WL Hutchinson 17-6, 5-6; WW *Liberal 7-6, 7-3; W *Dodge City 12-7; WW *Dodge City 16-5, 12-1; L *Hays High 1-8; LL *Hays High 1-11, 0-5; 4-24—*at Liberal (1); 4-25—*Garden City (1); 4-27—*Garden City (2); 5-9—at Hays TMP (2)
GARDEN CITY (4-2, 8-2)—WW Wichita North 15-0, 15-0; L *Hays 6-13; WW Goodland 10-0, 11-8; WL *Hays 8-2, 1-5; W *Liberal 10-0 WW *Liberal 12-2, 5-3; 4-25—*at Great Bend (1); 4-27—*Great Bend (2); 5-2—*Dodge City (2); 5-4—*at Dodge City (1); 5-5—Scott City (2); 5-12—Topeka High (2)
LIBERAL (0-5, 2-9)—L Derby 0-15; L Goddard 1-22; LL *Great Bend 6-7, 3-7; L McPherson 5-6, L Maize High 0-15; WW Hugoton 11-1, 16-3; L *Garden City 0-10; LL *Garden City 2-12, 3-5; 4-24—*Great Bend (1); 4-27—Scott City (2); 5-2—*Hays High (2); 5-5—*at Hays High (1); 5-9—*Dodge City (1); 5-11—*at Dodge City (2)
DODGE CITY (0-6, 1-7)—WL Salina Central 33-5, 5-8; L *Hays 0-13; LL *Hays 0-15, 0-16; L *Great Bend 7-12; LL *Great Bend 5-16, 1-12; 4-20—at Hays TMP (2); 4-25—Kingman (2); 4-28—at Wichita Heights (2); 5-2—*at Garden City (2); 5-4—*Garden City (1); 5-9—*at Liberal (1); 5-11—*Liberal (2)
