Panthers enjoy last-inning magic

BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

LIBERAL – The 3-hour bus ride back home was priceless.

Great Bend’s softball team ended a winless season with a pair of seventh-inning Western Athletic Conference victories over Liberal 8-7 and 8-7 Friday. The Panthers rallied for three runs in the seventh inning of both games to shock the Redskins.

Panther sparkplug Rylee Prilling emerged as the unlikely heroine after a 0-for-8 twin bill against Garden City.

Great Bend (2-14) earned the hard-fought wins a day after a pair of last-inning losses to defending WAC champion Garden City. The Panthers had previously lost three 1-run games.

PANTHERS 8, LIBERAL 7 (G1) – The Panthers rallied after trailing 7-5. Prilling and Paige Thexton started the seventh inning with singles. Prilling slid safely into home on DeShawnna Bryant’s groundball when Liberal shortstop Taylor Harding tried to throw her out at home. Thexton scored on a passed ball. Bryant scored on Harding’s error for an 8-7 lead.

Panther pitcher Jordan Turner (1-7) retired the Redskins to start celebration No. 1.

Prilling scored on an error and Thexton scored on a first-inning passed ball. Thexton scored on a third-inning passed ball. Lauryn Davis and Breanna Ridgeway delivered RBI sixth-inning outs.

Liberal led 7-5 when Jaciana Rivera and Lizzy Cisneros delivered RBI sixth-inning hits.

PANTHERS 8, LIBERAL 7 (G2) – Great Bend’s Prilling rode to the rescue again when she delivered a 2-out, 2-run double that scored Davis and Halle Post with the tying and game-winning runs.

The Panthers were down to their final out after Liberal centerfielder Amya Blake threw out pinch runner Laura Daniel at home. But Brooke McReynolds scored when Post reached base on an error. Prilling made the Redskins pay with the biggest hit of her life that will be a lifetime memory.

The Panthers scored six unearned runs off five Liberal errors and six Redskin walks.

Crafty panther pitcher Jordan Turner (2-7) put Liberal’s offense on lockdown with three consecutive outs.

Celebration No. 2 continued on the 3-hour bus ride back home.

Great Bend 201 002 3 – 8 10 3

Liberal 030 013 0 – 7 13 4

Turner and Davis. Ormiston and Mannel. W—Turner, 1-7. L--Ormiston. 2B—GB—Bryant. 3B-L—Oremiston, Rivera. HR—L—Rivera.

Great Bend 102 200 3 – 8 8 5

Liberal 230 101 0 – 7 9 5

Thexton, Turner (4) and Davis. Torres, Armiston (4) and Mannel, Torres (4). W—Turner, 2-7. L—Armiston. 2B—GB—Davis, Prilling; L—Rivera 2, Blake.

WAC SOFTBALL

Garden City 9-0 11-2

Dodge City 4-2 8-6

Hays High 6-4 10-6

Great Bend 2-10 2-14

Liberal 1-6 8-7

4-26—*Garden City 12, Great Bend 2; *Hays 9, Dodge City 6; Liberal 18-4, 19-4 Hugoton; 4-28—*Garden City 4-0, 3-2 Great Bend; Hays 13, TMP 12; Hays 14, Sacred Heart 4; Liberal 7, Scott City 6; Scott City 8, Liberal 7; 4-29—*Great Bend 8-7, 9-8 Liberal; Hays High 20-6 19-4 Colby; Dodge City 11-0 15-0 Wichita Heights

5-3—Hutchinson at Great Bend; *Garden City at Dodge City (2); Liberal at Hays (2)