LIBERAL – Great Bend's trio of Kya Behr, Paige Thexton and DeShawnna Bryant stayed red hot to spark a 15-4 and 15-0 Western Athletic Conference softball victory over Liberal Thursday. Great Bend (8-1, 3-0 WAC) is ranked third in the 5A West and plays Dodge City (2-3, 0-3 WAC) Tuesday at home. 

Thexton reached base eight of nine times. Behr doubled, tripled and batted 6 for 9 with five RBIs. Bryant doubled twice, tripled and batted 5 for 6 with six RBIs. 

After nine games, Behr is batting .625 (20 for 32); Bryant .567 (17 for 30); Camdyn Post, .481 (13 for 27) and Kamryn Koelsch .480 (12 for 25).

PANTHERS 15, LIBERAL 4 (G1) – Bryant drove home four runs and scored four runs with two singles, a double and triple. Behr doubled, tripled, scored three runs and drove in three runs. Kamryn Koelsch drove home three runs with three singles. Camdyn Post reaches base twice on perfectly executed bunts and scored three runs.

The Panthers broke a 4-4 tie with a 5-run fourth inning. Behr ripped a 2-run triple. Bryant, Koelsch and Rylee Prilling drove home runs.

Pitcher Braelyn Turner (2-1, 2.69 ERA) finished with four shutout innings. She yielded four unearned runs with five strikeouts. 

PANTHERS 15, LIBERAL 0 (G2) – The Panthers scored 15 runs in four at-bats, highlighted by a 6-run third inning. 

Behr scored three runs and drove in two runs with two singles. Bryant and Josie Blevins each drove in two runs. Camdyn Post, Katherine Mazouch and Koelsch each drove in a run. Thexton scored four runs.

Panther pitcher Chayla Prendergast (5-0, 3.08 ERA) threw a 2-hitter with three strikeouts.

Great Bend 301 530 3 – 15 17 2

Liberal 103 000 0 – 4 5 2

Turner and Koelsch. Torres and Mannel. W—Turner, 2-1. L—Torres. 2B—GB—Thexton, Behr,  Bryant. 3B—GB—Behr, Bryant.

Great Bend 301 530 3 – 15 13 0

Liberal 000 0 – 0 2 2

Prendergast and Koelsch. Janko, Harding (4) and Mannel. W—Prendergast, 5-0. L—Janko. 2B—GB—Koelsch, Bryant, Prendergast.