HUTCHINSON — Hutchinson High pitcher Mauree Garland handcuffed Great Bend's softball team for 4-plus innings when Kya Behr delivered the game-changing base hit.
Behr's 2-run single scored Braelyn Turner and Camdyn Post to spark a 3-run fifth inning. Turner walked and Post singled. Alyssa McCauley singled home Behr for a valuable insurance run that proved to be the game-winner in a 3-2 opening victory.
Great Bend (4-0) completed the 2-game sweep with a 9-1 victory in the nightcap at the Fun Valley Complex. The weather favored the pitchers with the wind knocking down outfield fly balls.
"The girls crushed the ball, but it was right at people, or right into the wind," said Great Bend coach Shawn Behr. "The girls probably would've hit six 'bombs' with no wind. The pitchers worked efficiently and we had solid defense."
PANTHERS 3, HUTCHINSON 2 (G1) — Hutchinson's Garland shut out the Panthers for four innings. Callie Umphres doubled and Denver Ringo singled in the second inning. Left fielder Pickering turned Turner's fly ball into a double play and Garland struck out Av Kaiser.
Hutchinson's Kohlbie Craft doubled home Jaden Durant for a 1-0 lead. Durant's double scored Yazmin Pena in the fifth inning.
Turner (2-0) struck out four batters. Chayla Prendergast earned the seventh-inning save.
PANTHERS 9, HUTCHINSON 1 (G2) — Prendergast extended her no-hit innings to six frames until Dutant singled. Prendergast (2-0) struck out seven batters and yielded a 7th-inning RBI single to Sadie Marciano.
McCauley, Kamryn Koelsch and Umphres delivered first-inning RBIs. Katherine Mazouch's second-inning single scored Brooklynn Kelly.
Prendergast's 2-run third-inning triple scored Baze Hogan and Ringo for a 6-0 lead. Behr doubled home Mazouch and Behr scored on a fourth-inning passed ball for an 8-0 lead.
Great Bend 000 030 0 — 3 12 0
Hutchinson 010 010 0 — 2 6 0
Turner, Prendergast (7) and Koelsch. Garland, Sterling (6) and Durant. W—Turner, 2-0. L—Durant, 0-1. SV—Prendergast. 2B—GB—Umphres; H—Durant, Craft.
Great Bend 312 200 0 — 8 10 0
Hutchinson 000 000 1 — 1 4 2
Prendergast and Koelsch. Eckhoff, Craft (3) and Hogan. W—Prendergast, 2-0. L—Eckhoff. 2B—GB—Umphres, Behr, Mazouch. 3B—GB—Prendergast.
