Panther softball loses two heartbreakers

BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

Win or lose, it was the craziest softball game in Great Bend history against Garden City’s defending Western Athletic Conference champions.

Sadly, the winless Panthers (0-14, 0-10 WAC) suffered the heartbreaker of all heartbreakers, a 3-2 setback in 14 innings that lasted three hours plus. The Buffaloes won the opener 4-0 at the Great Bend Sports Complex.

Time-after-time, Great Bend pitcher Paige Thexton kept battling, delivering quality pitch after quality pitch. She struck out eight batters and yielded one earned run.

She was supported by the finest defense the Panthers had played in recent memory. First baseman Analiz Rivas, second baseman Halle Post, shortstop Breanna Ridgeway, third baseman Briley Richter and Thexton took turns making spectacular defensive plays. Catcher Lauryn Davis tagged the potential game-winning runner Manwarren out at home. They handled bunts, hard groundballs and line drives.

When Rivas committed two 12th-inning errors on Brie Manwarren’s pop fly, Thexton dug deep for a third gear to retire Garden City’s two best hitters Yesenia Castro and Piper Harris.

The Buffaloes (11-2, 9-0 WAC) won the game on a Piper Harris single that scored Brie Manwarren in the 14th inning. Manwarren walked and Yesenia Castro singled in the 14th.

Garden City pitcher Manwarren (11-2) was a monster on the mound with 245 pitches and 33 strikeouts and one walk in 21 innings. Manwarren retired the final 18 batters after the Panthers nearly stole a ninth-inning victory.

Garden City was on its way for back-to-back shutouts with a 2-0 lead. Emma Ortiz reached on an third-inning error and scored on an error. Jesy Foster reached on an error and scored on Manwarren’s groundout.

The Panthers earned a 2-2 tie thanks to Garden City’s two defensive lapses. Rivas and Richter reached base on back-to-back fifth-inning errors. Great Bend coach Carrie Minton earned a gold star for signaling for Lauryn Davis to bunt with no out. Speedy pinch runner Laura Daniel scored on the Davis bunt and pinch runner Taylor Lashley alertly scored when Angel Serrano threw to first base for a 2-2 tie.

The Panthers had five chances to score the winning run in extra innings. DeShawnna Bryant was tagged out on an attempted seventh-inning steal. Halle Post singled and was stranded at third base in the ninth inning when Rylee Prilling, Thexton and Bryant was retired.

BUFFALOES 4, PANTHERS 0 (G1) – Panther Lauryn Davis delivered the only single as Manwarren struck out 15 batters. But Panther pitcher Jordan Turner (0-7) was spectacular with eight strikeouts in a 1-0 game until the seventh inning. Gabby Ortiz scored a second-inning run after a walk and two errors.

Castro hit a seventh-inning sacrifice fly and Piper Harris and Serrano hit back-to-back RBI hits after the Buffaloes loaded the bases.

Garden City 000 100 3 – 4 5 0

Great Bend 000 000 0 – 0 1 2

Manwarren and Kammy Foster. Turner and Davis. W—Manwarren, 10-2. L—Turner, 0-7. 2B—GC—Serrano.

Garden City 001 010 000 000 01 – 3 9 4

Great Bend 000 020 000 000 00 – 0 1 7

Manwarren and Kammy Foster. Turner and Davis. W—Manwarren, 11-2. L—Thexton, 0-7.

WAC SOFTBALL

Garden City 9-0 11-2

Dodge City 4-2 6-6

Hays High 6-4 8-6

Liberal 1-4 8-5

Great Bend 0-10 0-14

4-21—*Hays 11-5, Great Bend 1-3; Garden City 10-11, Liberal 0-1; Hays-TMP 7-9, Dodge City 2-5

4-25—*Garden City 9-5, 3-0 Hays 

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 at Liberal (2); Colby at Hays High (2); Dodge City at Wichita Heights (2)

GARDEN CITY (9-0, 11-2)—L Derby 6-10; WL Circle 5-1; 5-12; W Augusta 14-3; *W Hays 3-1; W *Liberal 12-0; WW *Liberal 10-0, 11-1; WW *Hays High 9-5, 3-0; W *Great Bend 11-2; WW *Great Bend 4-0 3-2; 5-3–*at Dodge City (2); 5-5–*Dodge City (1); 5-6–at Emporia (2); 5-12–at Goodland (2)

DODGE CITY (4-2, 6-6)—WW Wichita South; L *Hays High 1-4; W *Great Bend 16-6; WW *Great Bend  8-7, 8-2; LL Kingman 1-3, 5-9; LL Hays TMP 2-7, 5-9; WL *Hays High 10-9, 6-9; 4-29–at Wichita Heights (2); 5-3–*Garden City (2); 5-5–*at Garden City (1); 5-10–*Liberal (1); 5-12–*at Liberal (2)

HAYS HIGH (6-4, 8-6)—L *Garden City 1-3; *Liberal 6-4; LL Abilene 8-9, 7-12; W *Dodge City 4-1; W *Great Bend 9-8; WW *Great Bend 11-1, 5-3; LL *Garden City 5-9, 0-3; WL *Dodge City 9-6, 9-10; WW TMP 13-12; Sacred Heart 14-4; 4-29–Colby (2); 5-3–*Liberal (2); 5-10–at Andover Central (2)

LIBERAL (1-4, 8-5)—WW Ulysses 16-0, 16-0; L *Hays High 4-6; W *Great Bend 12-8; WW Sublette 20-3, 13-3; L *Garden City 0-12; LL *at Garden City 0-10, 1-11; WW Hugoton 18-4, 19-4; WL Scott City 7-6, 7-8; 4-29–*Great Bend (2); 5-3–*at Hays High (2); 5-10–*at Dodge City (1); 5-12–*Dodge City (2)

GREAT BEND (0-10, 0-14)—L Manhattan 3-17; L McPherson 0-26; L Valley Center 2-12; L Newton 7-24; L *Liberal 8-12; L *Dodge City 6-16; LL *Dodge City 7-8, 2-8; L *Hays 8-9; LL *Hays 1-11, 3-5; L *Garden City 2-12; LL *Garden City 0-4, 2-3; 4-29–*at Liberal (2); 5-3–Hutchinson (2); 5-5–Hays TMP (2)