BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtrribune.com
Great Bend's softball team wrote a perfect script for Senior Day.
Paige Thexton drilled a home run on the Panthers' first at-bat. Alyssa McCauley and Adelle Smith finished the sweep with game-ending runs.
The Panthers dominated Hays Thomas More Prep 12-2 and 10-0 to clinch a 5A postseason softball home site. Current No. 3 Western seed Great Bend (20-6) will finish no worse than a tie for third with Topeka Seaman, which could win a tiebreaker.
PANTHERS 12, TMP 2 (G1) — Alyssa McCauley drilled a game-ending 2-run homer for a run-rule victory at the Great Bend Sports Complex. Hot-hitting DeShawnna Bryant ripped a pair of doubles, two singles and drove in three runs. Bryant is batting .519 (40 for 77).
Halle Post delivered a sacrifice fly after Thexton's leadoff homer. Bryant drilled a 2-run double and Kya Behr and Kamryn Koelsch added second-inning RBIs. Halle Post and Koelsch added RBIs for a 10-2 lead. McCauley drove home Ringo on her 2-run homer.
Panther pitcher Braelyn Turner (8-4, 3.33 ERA) struck out six batters.
The Panthers pounded Monarch starters Brynn Rebel (8-4, 3.59 ERA) and Bria Windholz (10-4, 2.81 ERA).
PANTHERS 10, TMP 0 (G2) — Speedy baserunner Smith alertly raced around the bases on a sixth-inning Monarch error for a run-rule victory. Winning pitcher Chayla Prendergast delivered the game's big hit with a 3-run triple.
Camdyn Post scored on Bryant's first-inning sacrifice fly. Prendergast made the Monarchs pay for back-to-back 2-out errors with a 3-run homer. Bryant's 2-run single drove home Thexton and Behr in the fourth inning.
Smith was stuck at second base on Halle Post's lineout. But Smith raced home when the Monarchs mishandled the softball. Windholz yielded nine unearned runs.
Prendergast (9-2, 4,52 ERA) struck out five batters.
After 26 games, Behr is batting .523 (46 for 88); Camdyn Post .421 (32 for 76) and Thexton .408 (31 for 76).
Hays TMP 100 010 — 2 5 1
Great Bend 241 122 — 12 13 0
Rebel and Gottschalk. Turner and Koelsch. W—Turner, 8-4. L—Rebel. 8-4. 2B—GB—Bryant 2, Behr, Koelsch; T—Rebel. HR—GB—McCauley.
Hays TMP 000 000 0 — 0 2 7
Great Bend 104 401 — 10 7 0
Windholz and Gottschalk. Prendergast and Koelsch. W—Prendergast, 9-2. L—Windholz, 10-4. 2B—GB—Behr. 3B—GB—Prendergast.
5A WEST PROJECTED
1—Maize South 21-3 vs. 16—Emporia 6-14; 8—Andover Central 14-10 vs. 9—Wichita Kapaun Mt. Carmel 14-10
2—Wichita Carroll 19-3 vs. 15—Andover High 7-15; 7—Salina South 15-8 vs. 10—Goddard Eisenhower 12-10
3—Great Bend 20-6 vs. 14—Salina Central 8-16; 6—Hays High 15-7 vs. 11—Goddard 11-10
4—Topeka Seaman 17-6 vs. 13—Newton 9-11; 5—Valley Center 17-6 vs. 12—Arkansas City 10-11
