LARNED — The Great Bend High School softball team overcame numerous errors to sweep a doubleheader against Larned on Tuesday afternoon.
The Lady Panthers won 7-2 in Game 1, and won the nightcap 9-2.
“It was windy,” GBHS head coach Carrie Minton said. “Beyond that, it was one of those days where it took us a while to get going. In the middle of the first game when we got a runner on and got a bunt down and started to do the things that we wanted to do, that’s when things started to click a little for us.”
Larned struck first, scoring a run in the bottom of the first against Great Bend, which had seven errors in the game.
“Having seven errors in a game is up until this point uncharacteristic of us,” Minton said. “When we started to score some runs, it was one of those games where you take the win where ever you can get it. A win is a win.”
The Lady Panthers responded with a run in the top of the third, but Larned made it 2-1 in the bottom of the inning.
Great Bend took over in the fourth inning, scoring a pair of runs to take its first lead 3-2. It added to the lead with four runs in the sixth.
Kelsie Doll had an RBI triple to lead Great Bend. She went 1-for-4.
Bonny Boultinghouse and Elizabeth Barber each had an RBI single in the win.
Starting pitcher Braylin Bretz recorded the victory for the Lady Panthers, getting six strikeouts.
Great Bend scored one run in the first inning of Game 2 on an RBI single from Kelsie Doll, but went cold until the fourth inning.
The Lady Panthers scored one run in the fourth, four in the fifth and two in the sixth before Larned got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Kelsie Doll had another RBI single in the fifth, and Barber had a two-run single in the sixth.
Kaylie Doll added an RBI single in the top of the seventh.
Pitcher Hunter Middleton, who had the game’s only extra-base hit with a double in the fourth, struck out 10 batters and walked two on her way to a win.
— Kevin Price
HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
Non-Conference
At Larned
Tuesday
GAME 1
Great Bend 7, Larned 2
123 456 7 R H E
Great Bend 001 204 0 — 7 8 7
Larned 101 000 0 — 2 7 3
Braylin Bretz & Dakota Sanders; Lucas & Landon. W — Bretz. L — Lucas. 3B — Great Bend (Kelsie Doll).
GAME 2
Great Bend 9, Larned 2
123 456 7 R H E
Great Bend 100 142 1 — 9 8 4
Larned 000 002 0 — 2 5 4
Hunter Middleton & Hannah Mauler; Burris & Landon. W — Middleton. L — Burris. 2B — Great Bend (Middleton).