BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
DODGE CITY – For an inning, the Great Bend softball team were on target to salvage a split of Tuesday’s windblown Western Athletic Conference doubleheader.
But Dodge City outscored the Panthers 15-0 after trailing 5-0 after one-half inning to complete a dominating sweep. Dodge City won a hard-fought opener 4-1.
Dodge City (10-2, 4-0 WAC) takes early control of the league race while the Panthers (4-8, 2-2 WAC) have lost six games in a row heading to Friday’s home games against Hays High.
DODGE CITY 4, GREAT BEND 1 (G1) – Great Bend’s leading hitter Aleah Urban homered for the Panthers’ run off Dodge City pitcher Reagan Lopp. The Panthers put two baserunners on base in the first, second, third and fifth innings, but the Panthers were 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
Panther starter Shanaeia Mehlhaff pitched a solid six innings. The Panthers threw out Elise Helfrich at home in the first inning and center fielder Olivia Urban threw out Lopp in the fifth inning.
Dodge City’s Grace Ruehle scored on a second-inning error. Ruehle singled home Shaylyn Turner and Reagan Lopp in the third inning. Madison Armstrong’s tripled scored Ruehle in the fifth inning.
DODGE CITY 15, GREAT BEND 5 (G1) – Aleah Urban scored on a hit batter to ignite a five-run first inning. Olivia Urban scored on Brenna Bownes’ RBI single. Shailey Clark scored on Kaylee Unruh’s groundout. Mauler and Bownes scored on an error on a ball hit by McKayla Williams for a 5-0 lead.
Dodge City broke the open on an eight-run fifth inning. Armstrong drove home runs and Jessica Olivarez and Grace Ruehle drove in two runs.
Great Bend 000 001 0 – 1 2 1
Dodge City 012 010 x – 4 7 3
Shanaeia Mehlhaff and K. Unruh. Lopp and Ruehle. W—Lopp. L—Shae Mehlhaff. 2B—DC—Lopp. 3B—DC—Armstrong. HR—GB—Aleah Urban.
Great Bend 500 00 – 5 4 6
Dodge City 040 38 – 15 14 2
Shanaeia Mehlhaff, Sarah Mehlhaff (5) and K. Unruh. Lopp and Ruehle. W—Lopp. L—Shanaeia Mehlhaff.
WESTERN ATHLETIC GIRLS
Dodge City 4-0 10-2
Garden City 2-0 4-4
Great Bend 2-2 4-8
Hays High 0-2 5-5
Liberal 0-4 5-5
THURSDAY, APRIL 12
Dodge City 18-8, 17-5 Wichita Heights
Olathe North 15, Great Bend 0
SM Northwest 9, Great Bend 2
FRIDAY, APRIL 13
Lawrence 10, Great Bend 1
Olathe NW 14, Great Bend 4
Garden City 12-6, 15-3 Valley Center
TUESDAY
Dodge City 4-1, 15-5 Great Bend
Garden City 15-0, 15-0 Liberal
Hays High 12-0, 15-5 Colby
FRIDAY
Garden City at Colby
Hays High at Great Bend
Liberal at Wichita Southeast
DODGE CITY (4-0, 10-2)—WW Hays-TMP 6-4, 5-3; Wichita South 15-0, 12-1; L Goddard Eisenhower 9-20; L Derby 4-14; WW Hays High 12-4, 6-5; WW Wichita Heights 18-8, 17-5; WW Great Bend 4-1, 15-5; 4-24—Ulysses; 5-1—at Garden City; 5-4—at Emporia; 5-10—at Liberal
GARDEN CITY (2-0, 4-4)—4-3—Goodland, ppd.; LL Hays-TMP 2-8, 3-7; L Maize South 2-3, L Derby 0-10; WW Valley Center 12-6, 15-3; WW *Liberal 15-0, 15-0; 4-20—at Colby; 4-24—*at Hays High; 4-26—*at Great Bend; 5-1—*Dodge City; 5-4—at Emporia; 5-5—at Emporia
GREAT BEND (2-2, 4-8)—WL Cheney; L Andover 0-10; W Hutchinson 16-0; WW *Liberal 10-0, 14-0; L Olathe North 0-15; L SM Northwest 2-9; L Lawrence 1-10; L Olathe Northwest 4-14; LL *Dodge City 1-4, 5-15; 4-20—*Hays High; 4-26—*Garden City; 5-1—at Derby; 5-8—at Hays-Thomas More Prep
HAYS HIGH (0-2, 5-5)—WW Goodland 14-0, 8-1; W McPherson 7-6; L Andover 2-11; L Maize 3-13; L Goddard 0-11; LL Dodge City 4-12, 5-6; WW Colby 12-0, 15-5; 4-20—*at Great bend; 4-24—Garden City; 4-26—Hays triangular; 5-1—*Liberal; 5-10—Andover Central
LIBERAL (0-4, 5-5)—WW Stanton Co. 9-0, 10-7; WW Ulysses 12-2, 17-9; WL Hugoton 8-2, 1-3; 4-6—at Scott City, ppd.; LL *Great Bend 0-10, 0-14; LL *Garden City 0-15, 0-15; 4-20—at Wichita Southeast 4-27—Elkhart; 5-1—*Hays High; 5-10—*Dodge City
