Garden City loses a pair to first-place Seward

Liberal, KS-As the conference season pushes on, Becky Gundy is still trying to find the right combination in her lineup.

Garden City dropped a pair of games in Liberal on Wednesday, falling to Seward County 8-0 and 7-2.

In game one, the decisive blow was the second inning. The Saints tagged starter Marissa Montiel for four runs, two of which came off doubles by Corrina Porras and Kaitlin Ammermann. Paige St. Pierre hit an RBI single before Seward County plated their final run of the frame when Alyssa Dilley misplayed a ball in left field.

The Saints added a run in the fourth on Jullian Atteberry's RBI single; then plated one in the fifth when Miranda Nester smoked a run-scoring base hit to make it 6-0. Seward County polished off the shutout with Sage Harrison mashing an RBI double in the seventh followed by Madeline Owen's game-clinching single.

Montiel dropped to 0-2 in the circle for the Broncbusters, allowing six earned runs on 10 hits in 5.2 innings. Her counterpart Monique Ashley struck out 11 in six innings. She yielded just three hits.

In the finale, it was once again the second inning that was Garden City's downfall.

After the Broncbusters tied the game at 1 in the top of the second when Devin Hernandez scored on Porras's error at third, the Saints went right to work in the bottom half. St Pierre grounded into an RBI fielder's choice; then scored on Bailee Muxlow Volk's error at first before Leena Mortensen singled home a run to make it 4-1.

Then one big swing changed the tide in the fourth

With one on and two out, Ammermann crushed Samantha Akers 1-1 pitch over the fence in left field for her third home run of the season and a 6-1 Saints advantage.

Garden City (13-13, 3-5) got a run back in the sixth on Hernandez's RBI single. But Seward County (21-13, 8-0) quickly answered in their half when Atteberry hammered a pitch over the wall in straightaway center.

Jordan Cordey collected her seventh win in the circle, giving up two runs on three hits in seven innings. Meantime Akers dropped to 4-3, allowing five earned runs on 11 hits. She threw 103 pitches.

Next up: Garden City vs. Dodge City-Saturday, March 24-2 p.m. and 4 p.m.