BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
HAYS — Great Bend slugger DeShawnna Bryant made Hays High softball coach Abby Gillan pay with a historic hitting streak keyed by a pair of 2-run homers. Gillan finally had seen enough and took the bat out of Bryant's hands with two intentional walks with Paige Thexton on base. Bryant scored in the seventh inning for a 9-9 tie, but she was doubled off second base on an eighth-inning pop fly.
Hays' Elle Dreiling delivered the game-winning single after hitting into a pair of double play groundballs for an unbelievable 11-10 Western Athletic softball victory over the winless Panthers.
The Panthers (0-9, 0-5 WAC) rallied from a 9-3 deficit with six consecutive runs. Rylee Prilling 2-out, 2-run double scored Analiz Rivas and Briley Richter for a 9-9 tie off Dodge City pitcher Aubree Thomas.
Bryant's 2-run first-inning blast and Rivas' RBI single that scored Halle Post gave the Panthers a 3-2 lead. The Panthers' infield turned a pair of double plays. Shortstop Thexton started a first-inning double play. Thexton, first baseman Rivas and third baseman Bre Ridgeway contributed to a third-inning double play.
Hays regained control after a 5-run fourth inning for a 9-3 lead. The Panthers committed eight errors that handed the Indians five unearned runs. But relief pitcher Thexton kept the Panthers alive with three shutout innings.
Bryant made the Indians pay with a 2-out homer to score Melyne Fletchall for a 9-5 score. The Panthers climbed within 9-7 when Rivas and Richter delivered RBI singles. Prilling ripped the biggest hit of the season with a 2-run double for a 9-9 tie.
Rivas drilled an RBI single to score Thexton for a 10-9 lead. But Bryant was doubled off second base on an Lauryn Davis pop fly.
Hays High's Ashlyn Zimmer and Dezarae Schmidt singled to start the eighth. Zimmer scored on a wild pitch. After a pair of walks, Schmidt scored on Dreiling's game-winner.
Hays (3-3, 3-1 WAC) returns to Great Bend Thursday for a 4 p.m. doubleheader at the Great Bend Sports Complex.
Great Bend 201 024 1 — 10 13 8
Hays 202 050 2 — 11 14 3
Turner, Thexton (5) and Davis. Thomas and Zimmerman. W—Thomas 2-2. L—Thexton, 0-5. 2B—GB—Prilling; H—Schmidt 2. 3B—H—Dreiling. HR—GB—Bryant 2.
