SWEDES FINISH EMPTY IN KCAC TOURNAMENT

Great Bend, Kan. - The Swedes lost a close game against the Avila Eagles as the Bethany offense went quiet, losing 3-1. The Swedes picked up the offense in game two against the York Panthers, winning 10-2 in 6 innings. The Swedes then dropped a heartbreaker against the McPherson Bulldogs in a 4-3 loss in 17 innings. 

Game 1 

The Eagles scored an unearned run in the top of the 1st inning when Kurtz scored on a throwing error. Avila would then score another unearned run in the top of the 2nd inning when Kurtz singled to left field and scored Cole, making the score 2-0. The Eagles would then score their final run against the Swedes in the top of the 3rd inning with an RBI groundout by Bellflower, scoring Wood, 3-0.

Kierstyn McMillen and Amaris Guerra collected the 2 hits for the Swedes. McMillen hit a double and Guerra hit an RBI triple, accounting for the one run scored by Bethany, making the score 3-1. 

Sasha Martello threw 6 full innings, giving up 5 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk while striking out 2. Jordan Stelzig threw the 7th inning, throwing 10 pitches and collecting a strikeout while leaving a runner on base. 

Walter from the Eagles threw 4 innings giving up 2 hits, 1 earned run, 2 walks and striking out 3. Penn came in to relieve throwing 3 innings, allowing 2 walks and collecting 1 strikeout while not giving up a hit.

Game 2

The Bethany bats came alive against the York University Panthers in an elimination game. The Panthers got on the board first, as they scored 2 runs in the top of the 1st inning. Perez singled to right field, scoring Chapman and advancing Reed to third base, 1-0. Peterson then singled to center field, scoring Reed and making the score 2-0. The Swedes then got out of the jam, holding the Panthers to 2 runs for the rest of the game. 

The Swedes answered back in the bottom of the 1st inning, scoring 2 runs to tie the game up. Melinda Cratty singled to right field, scoring Amaris Guerra and Lilliana Martinez, 2-2. 

The Swedes then put up a crooked number in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Guerra reached base on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on the throw, McMillen advanced to third on an error, and Destiny Espinosa scored, 3-2. Lilliana Martinez then reached base on a dropped third strike and advanced to second base on an overthrow, scoring Guerra and McMillen, 5-2. Myranda Jimenez then followed up with a triple to right field, scoring Martinez, 6-2. The bases then got loaded, bringing up Sasha Martello to the plate. Martello took an RBI walk, making the score 7-2. Cratty then scored on a wild pitch making the score 8-2. Shantell Evans then hit an infield single, scoring Kat Range and making the score 9-2.

The Swedes did not score again until the bottom of the 6th inning when Kat Range walked it off with a double to right center, scoring Abigail Nitzel, 10-2. 

Lilliana Martinez threw 6 innings allowing 7 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk while striking out 3. 

Alvarez started for the Panthers on the mound, throwing 1.2 innings, allowing 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 4 walks and 1 strike out. Hardey threw 3.2 innings giving up 5 hits, 1 earned run and collected 1 strikeout. 

Chapman led the Panthers, going 2-for-3 and scoring once. Perez and Peterson each went 1-for-3 with an RBI. 

Shantell Evans went 2-for-2 at the plate with an RBI. Melinda Cratty went 2-for-3 with a walk, scoring once and collected 2 RBIs. Myranda Jimenez went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and a triple, with a run and an RBI. The Swedes totaled 10 hits, 6 RBIs and 4 walks while still leaving 6 runners on base. 

Game 3

The final game of the season for the Swedes resulted in a 4-3 loss to the McPherson Bulldogs, in a 17 inning game. 

The Bulldogs scored 2 unearned runs in the top of the 1st inning from an infield throwing error, putting the Bulldogs up 2-0. Another infield error would then score another unearned run, putting the Swedes behind 3-0. 

The Swedes did not break the shut out until the bottom of the 7th inning. Shantell Evans reached first on an error and advanced to second, while scoring Melinda Cratty, making the score 3-1. Destiny Espinosa then reached on an error by the shortstop and advanced to second on the throw, while scoring Evans, making the score 3-2. Kierstyn McMillen, senior outfielder, would then single to left field scoring Espinosa, tying up the game 3-3 in the bottom of the 7th on 2 outs. 

The next 9 innings would be scoreless as both pitchers threw with heart and left the gas tank empty. 

McPherson managed to push a run across in the top of the 17th inning, making the score 4-3. The Swedes responded in the bottom of the 17th by loading up the bases with 2 outs, but were unable to push a run across, ending the 2023 Swede Softball season. 

Sasha Martello started on the mound for the Swedes, throwing 3 innings allowing 3 hits, 0 earned runs, 1 walk and striking out 2. Lilliana Martinez then came in and threw 14 innings allowing 6 hits, 1 earned run in the top of the 17th, 4 walks while striking out 3. 

Johnson threw all 17 innings for the Bulldogs, giving up 10 hits, 0 earned runs and 8 walks while striking out 12. 

Out of 60 at bats in the game, the Swedes collected 10 hits and 1 RBI, leaving 17 runners on base. Out of 61 at bats in the game the Bulldogs collected 9 hits and 1 RBI, leaving 14 runners on base.

The Swedes finished 4th in the conference after being projected to finish 8th. Overall the Swedes went 26-22 and went 16-8 in conference.

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