Freshman Dakota Sanders and her Great Bend High School Lady Panthers teammates helped make the opening games at the brand-spanking-new City of Great Bend Sports Complex a smashing success.
Sanders crashed a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning, propelling the Lady Panthers to a 13-3 run-rule win over Larned in the season-opener Tuesday afternoon, the first game of a non-conference doubleheader.
“We’re playing at a new place, a new field, and (Sanders) is a freshman,” GBHS head coach Carrie Minton said. “You expect the girls to come out a little nervous and that was definitely not the case with Dakota today.
“No nerves on Dakota’s part. She’s always hit the ball really well.”
Sanders’ slam capped a six-run uprising by the Lady Panthers, who were leading 7-3 entering the inning, to put the 10-run rule into effect.
“I thought it was going to be another one to the fence and then oh, my gosh, it went over,” said Sanders, a catcher, of the first grand slam of her life. “I was really excited.
“I just focus on watching the ball and making good contact … I really think we’re going to have a good season.”
In the second game, GBHS freshman pitcher Hannah Middleton spun a one-hitter and Sanders hit a two-run homer during a four-run sixth as they completed a sweep with an 11-1 win.
GBHS freshman right-hander Braylin Bretz scattered seven hits and struck out three in the first game, and then Middleton had a no-hitter going until the fifth of game two when Emily Lucas’ two-out single broke up the bid.
Middleton, who totaled four strikeouts, lost her shutout in the third after the Lady Indians scored an unearned run.
“Our pitching was outstanding today,” Minton said of the duo, making their first varsity starts. “They came out ready to play and stepped up and did what it took for us to win.
“We knew that we were going to come out a little nervous in both games, but once the girls started getting into a rhythm, things fell into place for us.”
Larned, coming off a third-place finish last spring at the Class 3A state tournament in Manhattan, rode Katie Seeman’s leadoff double in the second to a 3-1 lead. Lucas advanced Seeman with a bunt single and then Kassandra Razo reached on an error, enabling Seeman to score with the Lady Indians’ first run.
After Summer Snyder lifted a sacrifice fly for an RBI, driving in Lucas, Shaylene Shepard’s base hit drove in their third run.
GBHS scored a single run in the first for a 1-0 lead on Elizabeth Barber’s sacrifice fly, plating Stephanie Morrision, who led off with a base hit.
After the Lady Indians’ trio of runs, it closed to 3-2 after Bretz walked and later scored on a wild pitch.
GBHS tied the game at 3 in the third, by virtue of a Sanders double and an RBI single by Barber. Then it finally broke through in the fourth, scoring four runs, highlighted by Tarynn Stueder’s two-run single, for a 7-3 lead.
In Great Bend’s fifth, McKenna Mauler and Bretz opened the inning with consecutive doubles, with Mauler scoring the first run.
After Karly Esfeld walked, Bonny Boultinghouse stroked an RBI single to knock in Bretz to make it 9-3. Morrison then walked to fill the bases, setting the stage for Sanders’ blast over the fence in left field.
Esfeld finished with a pair of singles, as did Boultinghouse, who finished 2-for-2, along with a sacrifice.
GBHS, which had a hit in every inning in the first game, scored at least one run in every inning but the second of the nightcap.
Leading 4-1 in the fifth, the Lady Panthers scored three runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth to make it another run-rule game.
After Sanders’ two-run homer in the sixth, Boultinghouse singled and after an out was recorded, Morrison drove home Boultinghouse with an RBI single. Kaylie Doll then put a lid on it with a run-scoring single to left.
Kaylie Doll finished with two singles, Hannah Mauler had a single and a double and Kelsie Doll had a double and scored three runs.
HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
Non-Conference
At Great Bend
City of Great Bend
Sports Complex
Tuesday
Great Bend 13, Larned 3 (5)
123 45 R H E
LHS 030 00 — 3 7 0
GBHS 111 46 — 13 11 2
Emily Lucas, Reaghan Burris (4) & Summer Snyder; Braylin Bretz & Dakota Sanders. W — Bretz (1-0). L — Lucas (0-1). 2B — GBHS: McKenna Mauler, Sanders, Bretz; Larned: Katie Seeman, Baily Schartz. HR — Sanders (1).
Great Bend 11, Larned 1 (6)
123 456 R H E
LHS 001 000 — 1 1 7
GBHS 112 034 — 11 11 1
Shaylee Shepard, Emily Lucas (4) & Summer Snyder; Hunter Middleton & Hannah Mauler. W — Middleton (1-0). L — Shepard (0-1). 2B — GBHS: Hannah Mauler, Kelsie Doll. HR — Sanders (2).
