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Panther softball sweeps Liberal
kamryn koelsch

BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

Outside of a couple of errors, it was a near-perfect softball doubleheader for the Great Bend Panthers. 

Right fielder Katherine Mazouch delivered two dazzling catchers and scored the game-winning run in the Panthers' 7-6 Western Athletic Conference opening win Thursday. DeShawna Bryant and Analiz Rivas each delivered two RBIs in a 7-3 victory in the nightcap.

Great Bend (3-3, 2-0 WAC) swept a doubleheader over Liberal (0-4, 0-2 WAC) for the first time in two years.

PANTHERS 7, LIBERAL 6, 8 innings (G1) — The Panthers broke a 6-6 tie after Mazouch singled and moved to second base on a Lauryn Davis bunt. Mazouch alertly advanced to third base on Halle Post's groundout. Mazouch scored when Liberal first baseman Lexi Miller threw wildly past third baseman Zoey Torres.

Great Bend pitcher Paige Thexton (1-2) struck out the side in the eighth inning. Thexton's best pitch was a perfectly-timed fourth-inning changeup on Liz Mannel to strand the bases loaded.

The Panthers led 6-1. Denver Ringo ripped a 2-run double and Bryant had an RBI in a 3-run third. Mazouch scored on a fourth inning error. Lauryn Davis hit a 2-run fifth-inning double.

Liberal scored five runs thanks to four Panther errors in the sixth and seventh innings for a 6-6 tie. Lexi Miller hit an RBI single and Maedeen McClure scored on a sixth-inning error. McClure and Miller delivered RBI singles after two errors keyed the inning. 

PANTHERS 7, LIBERAL 3 (G2) — Panther pitcher Braelyn Turner (2-1) calmly worked out of bases-loaded no-out sixth inning to preserve a 4-2 lead. Turner retired Miller, Madalyn McCarter and Mannel.

Maedeen McClure 2-run double handed Liberal a 2-0 lead. The Panthers scored seven consecutive runs. Rivas, Post, Kamryn Koelsch and Thexton delivered RBI hits for a 4-2 lead. 

Bryant drilled the game's biggest hit with a 2-run sixth-inning double that scored Thexton and Rylie Duvall. Bryant scored on a Rivas' sacrifice fly for a 7-2 lead. Jenna Ormiston hit an RBI single in the seventh inning.

Liberal 000 102 30 — 6 4 3 

Great Bend 003 120 01 — 7 9 5

Ormiston and Mannel. Thexton and Davis. W—Thexton, 1-2. L—Ormiston, 0-2. 2B—GB—Ringo, Davis

Liberal 200 000 1 — 3 6 1

Great Bend 111 103 x — 7 12 1 

Torres and Mannel. Turner and Koelsch. W—Turner, 2-1. L—Torres, 0-2. 2B—GB—Rivas, Bryant, McCauley; L—McClure