The drama continues at the Great Bend Sports Complex. Last week, freshman Katherine Mazouch hit a late home run to force extra innings in a loss to Hutchinson. Thursday night, Mazouch, Lauryn Davis, and Halle Post provided the heroics for the Lady Panther softball team in a 7-6 game-one win against Liberal. Great Bend took game two 7-3 to improve to 3-3 on the year.
The Lady Panthers were cruising with a 6-1 lead after five innings. Liberal scored two in the sixth and tied things up with three more in the seventh. Mazouch opened the bottom of the eighth with a single to left field, then moved to second on a sacrifice from Davis. With one out, Post grounded out, but errors on the play allowed Mazouch to score the winning run.
Paige Thexton picked up the win in the circle, throwing all eight innings and allowing just two earned runs on four hits. She struck out 10 and walked three.
Mazouch and Denver Ringo each had two hits, and Ringo and Davis each doubled and drove in two. Rylee Prilling walked three times and came around to score once.
Game two was less dramatic. Liberal scored the first two runs, but the Lady Panthers answered with runs in each of the first four innings, then a three-run sixth to cap a 7-3 win.
Braelyn Turner went the distance in the circle, striking out five and walking five in her seven innings of work. She allowed three earned runs on six hits.
The Lady Panthers piled up 12 hits, led by Analiz Rivas with a double and two singles resulting in a pair of RBIs. Post and Ringo each singled twice, and DeShawnna Bryant and Alyssa McCauley each doubled. Thexton singled and walked twice, driving in a run and scoring twice.
Great Bend hosts Dodge City for a single game on Tuesday, then heads to Dodge City for a twin bill on Thursday.