The Great Bend High School softball team made short work of Liberal during a Western Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon — literally.
A pair of seven-inning games got shortened to eight total innings due to run-rule wins at the Barton Community College softball field. The Lady Panthers won 18-0 in three innings in Game 1, and 13-0 in five innings in the second game.
“I was glad to see that our girls came out strong, and hit the ball well,” GBHS head coach Carrie Minton said. “They played well defensively. Our pitchers, I think we had a one-hitter in the first game and a no-hitter in the second.”
The victories were highlighted by Great Bend starting pitcher Hunter Middleton striking out 13 of the 15 batters she faced in Game 1, throwing a no-hitter. The Lady Panthers improve to 9-3 overall, 5-1 in WAC action.
Great Bend had everything going for them in a doubleheader that saw the Lady Panthers have 19 hits while their starting pitchers only allowed one for Liberal.
“When you have pitchers throwing that well, that’s nice to see,” Minton said. “Especially going into a big week. They threw really well. They had to throw in rough conditions against Garden City (on Thursday), so it was nice to see them come out and finally have a day where they could throw the way they’d like to throw.”
The Lady Redskin only had two baserunners, and the Great Bend defense was able to take away one with a double play with McKenna Mauler catching a infield fly ball and catching the runner out of position heading back to first base.
In the first inning of Game 1, Kelsie Doll and Stephanie Morrison each hit an RBI single, and Samantha Dreiling struck a two-run double.
Great Bend also plated three runs on wild pitches thrown by Lady Redskins pitcher Brittany Granger to make it 7-0 after one inning.
The Lady Panthers got five more runs on wild pitches in the second inning and another was walked in.
Doll had an RBI triple and an RBI double in the second inning.
Dakota Sanders connected for an RBI double, and Hannah Mauler and starting pitcher Braylin Bretz each pounded an RBI single.
Bretz had three strikeouts and one walk, allowing one hit in the win.
Doll had another RBI double in the bottom of the first in Game 2. McKenna Mauler and Middleton each recorded an RBI in the inning as well.
In the bottom of the second, Morrison got a pair of RBIs before getting caught in a rundown between second and third, and Hannah Mauler hit a 2-run double in the third inning for Great Bend.
Kacee Kasselman drove in the final run for Great Bend with a single in the third.
The Lady Panthers travel to Larned on Tuesday for a doubleheader, starting at 4 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
Western Athletic Conference

At Great Bend
Barton Community College softball field

Saturday

GAME 1
Great Bend 18, Liberal 0 (3)
                       123                R      H     E
Liberal           000         —     0      1     0
Great Bend    7(11)x    —    18    11    0
     Brittany Granger & Micah Hasik; Braylin Bretz & Dakota Sanders. W — Bretz. L — Granger. 2B — Great Bend (Stephanie Morrison, Samantha Dreiling, Kelsie Doll, Sanders). 3B — Great Bend (Doll).

GAME 2
Great Bend 13, Liberal 0 (5)
                      123   45           R     H    E
Liberal           000   00   —     0     0    2
Great Bend    463   0x   —    13    8    0
     Granger & Hasik; Hunter Middleton & Hannah Mauler. W — Middleton. L — Granger. 2B — Great Bend (Doll, Mauler).