BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
MCPHERSON — Great Bend pitcher Chayla Prendergast (3-0, 0.41 ERA) continues a hot early-season with five shutout innings in an 11-0 softball victory over McPherson Tuesday.
The Panthers completed a 2-game sweep with a 7-3 victory over Manhattan. The defense recorded 32 outs with four combined strikeouts by Prendergast and Braelyn Turner.
"Our pitchers have confidence to challenge batters, knowing if they miss, our defense is there to cover," said Great Bend softball coach Shawn Behr. "Our outfield trio of Minton, Kaiser and Post tracked balls in the gaps, took away extra base hits and booked them as outs. Shortstop Kya (Behr) and second base Katherine (Mazouch) form a solid middle wall on defense. Umphres and McCauley trade games defensively at first."
The Panthers roughed up McPherson pitcher Carmen Pavlovich (2-2, 4.73 ERA), who yielded 10 earned runs after entering with a 2.33 ERA.
"McPherson's pitcher Pavlovich threw hard, but our bats made the adjustments," Behr said. "Frankly, we crushed the ball in game one."
Alyssa McCauley (.474) singled and doubled and drove home four runs. Kya Behr (.600) drilled a 2-run homer and scored three runs. Great Bend doubled six times.
McCauley doubled home Katherine Mazouch and Behr for a 2-0 lead. McCauley scored on a Callie Umphres double. Behr scored on Mazouch's double and NcCauley's single brought home Mazouch and Behr for a 5-0 lead.
Mazouch's RBI single was followed by Behr's 2-run homer drove home Mazouch. Ringo and Prendergast delivered RBI doubles and Post's single drove in Prendergast for an 11-0 lead.
Great Bend (6-0) plays Pratt Thursday at the Great Bend Sports Complex.
PANTHERS 7, MANHATTAN 3 (G2) — Braelyn Turner (3-0, 1.87 ERA) threw six effective innings before Prendergast rode to the rescue with a seventh-inning save after the Indians delivered three hits in six pitches.
"Chayla and Braelyn pitched amazing, kept the ball in the zone and challenged batters," Behr said. "I think Braelyn would have worked her way out of it. But I put Chayla in and let her throw water on that 'fire.' Those two girls make up a special combo in the circle, a coaches dream.
"Koelsch is tough as our catcher. She does a great job managing the game for us as the captain of the defense."
Ringo (.500) delivered two doubles and a single to drove home five runs. Camryn Post (.500) and Mazouch (.400) each delivered three hits and one RBI.
"Denver Ringo is seeing the ball as good as anyone," Behr said. "She's driving the ball to the gaps. It's by far her best start. She's sure handed at third as anyone that you will find."
Behr liked how the girls adjusted to a different style of pitcher against Manhattan.
"Manhattan's pitcher Heidrick spins the ball to the outside corner," Behr said. "The girls are proficient hitting the ball the other way. They capitalized and drove the ball to right center. It was an amazing effort."
The Panthers pounded out 28 hits, 11 for extra bases.
"Our top five girls are the heart of our lineup, anchoring a lineup that totaled 28 hits," Behr said. "Throw in hot bats of Kya and KitKat (Mazouch), McCauley and Umphres, opposing pitchers get weary. The 'sticks' keep coming."
Behr is thankful to work in tandem with hitting coach Shailey Clark and pitching coach Jennifer Turner.
"Ex-Panther Shailey Clark does an amazing job as our hitting coach," he said. "When I found out, I got the softball job, J.T. (Jennifer Turner) was the first person I called to apply as an assistant to manage this amazing pitching crew."
Great Bend 302 33 — 11 14 0
McPherson 000 00 — 0 4 1
Prendergast and Koelsch. Pavlovich and Doile. W—Prendergast, 3-0. L—Pavlovich, 2-2. 2B—GB—McCauley, Mazouch, Umphres, Ringo, Koelsch, Prendergast. HR—GB—Behr.
Great Bend 031 020 1 — 7 14 0
Manhattan 100 000 2 — 3 5 1
Turner, Prendergast (7) and Koelsch. Heidrick and Neitzel. W—Turner, 3-0. L—Heidrick, 1-1. SV—Prendergast. 2B—GB—Ringo 2, Koelsch, Mazouch; M—Neitzel, Alesana
