VALLEY CENTER — Great Bend freshman softball superstar DeShawna Bryant is off to a hot-hitting start. Bryant continued to spark the Panthers’ hitting with a pair of home runs Thursday.

However, the Panthers (0-4) continue to endure growing pains with a 12-2 loss to Valley Center and an 24-7 setback against Newton. The Panthers return home April 5 against Liberal to open Western Athletic Conference play.  

VALLEY CENTER 12, PANTHERS 2 (G1) — Great Bend’s Bryant drilled a two-run homer to score Paige Thexton after she was hit by a pitch for a 2-0 lead.  

The Hornets scored four runs in the second inning and ended the game with a 6-run fifth inning off pitcher Jordan Turner. Valley Center’s Lucy Hooper drove in four runs, scored three times and delivered three hits. 

Klumpp drilled a pair of home runs, including a two-run blast that ignited a 6-run fifth inning. Sykora Smith drove home two runs. Cheyenne Blackwood and Maci George each drove in one run.

Hornet pitcher Alyssa Crumbliss struck out six batters in a one-hitter.

NEWTON 24, PANTHERS 7 (G2) — Newton practiced Home-Run Derby with four homers — two by Tegan Livesay and roundtrippers by McKennah Cusick and Piper Seidl. The Railroaders (4-1) unloaded seven doubles for 11 extra-base hits. Newton had an 8-run inning and a pair of 6-run innings.

Livesay drove home four runs with three runs scored and three hits. Seidl drove home three runs with three runs scored and three hits. MacKenzie Cusick and Abigail Koontz each drove home two runs. 

The Panthers contributed to their struggle with seven errors, which led to 13 unearned runs.  

Bryant and Thexton each drove home two runs. Analiz Rivas, Briley Richter and Rylee Prilling each drove home a run.

Hallw Post scored on Thexton’s first-inning groundout. Post scored on a bases-loaded walk and Richter’s single scored Thexton in a two-run third inning.

Thexton’s double scored Bre Ridgeway to ignite a four-run fourth inning. Bryant’s homer scored Thexton. Prilling’s double scored Rivas.  

Great Bend 200 00 — 2 1 3

Valley Center 141 06 — 12 14 1

Turner and Davis. Crumbliss and Johnson. W–Crumbliss. L–Turner, 0-2. 2B–VC–Blackwood, Hooper. HR–GB–Bryant (1); VC—Klumpp 2, Smith.

Newton 460 86 — 24 17 2

Great Bend 102 40 — 7 10 7 

McKennah Cusick and MacKenzie Cusick. Thexton, Prilling (3) and Davis. W–McKennay Cusick, 2-1. L–Thexton, 0-2. 2B–GB—Thexton, Prilling; N–Hirsh 2, MacKenzie Cusick, McKennah Cusick, Seidl, Rains, Huntley. HR–GB—Bryant (2); N–Livesay (2), Seidl, McKennah Cusick