HOISINGTON — A steady stream of runs and solid pitching performances locked up a high school softball sweep for Great Bend on Thursday afternoon.
The Lady Panthers beat Hoisington 15-0 in five innings to open the twinbill and closed out Game 2 ahead 6-0.
“We came out aggressive,” GBHS head coach Carrie Minton said. “We went up a couple runs in each of the first couple innings (in Game 1), and we just kept working. We were coming off a long break, so I think we were a little anxious to get going.”
The Lady Panthers jacked up three runs in each of the first two innings, scored one run in the third before exploding for six runs in the top of the fourth.
Great Bend scored two runs in the fifth to make it 15-0.
While several players had stellar at-bats in the game, Dakota Sanders leads the pack.
Sanders went 4-for-4 from the plate, with a two-run home run.
“Dakota hit the ball well,” Minton said. “She drove in a lot of runs for us. She had the Dolls hitting in front of her. Both of them were able to get on base a lot, and she’d drive them in.”
Also having a dominant performance was junior pitcher Braylin Bretz.
Bretz went all five innings, striking out six and allowing no walks or hits.
Hoisington had two players reach base on errors.
Fellow junior pitcher Hunter Middleton had an equally strong outing in Game 2.
Middleton went seven innings with 12 strikeouts.
She allowed one hit and two walks.
“They both pitched phenomenally,” Minton said. “Braylin, that was one of the best games we’ve seen her throw. Her change up was amazing.”
Sanders went 3-for-4 to lead Great Bend at the plate, again. She had a pair of doubles.
Kaylie Doll and Kelsie Doll each had triples in the game.
Great Bend travels to Liberal on Tuesday and Maize on Thursday for doubleheaders.

                                                      — Kevin Price