Lady Buffs softball loses opener
Garden City, Kan (westernkansasnews.com)-How could one team possibly have a distinct advantage on opening day? How about the fact that they’ve played 20 games compared to their opponents 0. Still it came down to one play.
Freshman Abbie Dart’s error in the top of the 10th allowed the eventual winning run to score as Pampa, TX beat Garden City 5-4 on Saturday afternoon at Tangeman Sports Complex.
“All in all I thought the girls played very well,” Lady Buffs Head Coach Trina Moquette said afterwards. “Dusty (Befort) pitched well.”
Dusty Befort’s gem should show exactly what the Buffaloes are capable of in 2014. The senior allowed five runs on eight hits; two of those tallies coming in extra innings. But in game one, it still wasn’t enough.
Bailey Dixon’s two-out, run-scoring single got the Harversters on the board in the top of the 1st. It would stay that way until Alexa O’Brien’s solo shot in the 3rd gave Pampa a 2-0 advantage.
Garden City (0-1) would draw even in the 5th when Rylee Crawford scored on an error by Bailey Wichert. Befort’s RBI double tied the game 2-2.
Pampa regained the lead a half inning later on Ally Robertson’s RBI groundout that scored Dixon from third.
Down to their final out in the bottom of the 7th, Jamie St. Clair scored on passed ball to tie the game at 3. After Abbie Dart singled to put the winning run on, Shai Cartmill grounded out harmlessly to short to end the threat.
The score stayed deadlocked until the 9th when Cameron Schaub ripped a two-out double up the middle-scoring Tori Robles-making it 4-3 Pampa. But Cartmill’s two-out, RBI single in the bottom half brought Befort around to tie the game.
In the top of the 10th-O’Brien drew a one-out walk. After Dixon struck out swinging, Arnzen was given a free pass on four pitches. With two on and two out, Dart misplayed a ball at short allowing O’Brien to score the go-ahead run.
The Buffs had one last chance in the bottom of the inning, but Rylee Crawford was called out because of offensive interference ending the game.
Final Stats: pampa_garden
