Great Bend hasn't had much luck against Hays recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Panthers will look to defend their home field against the Indians at 6:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Friday, Great Bend was able to grind out a solid win over Northwest, taking the game 6-2.
Alyssa McCauley spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on eight hits and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, Kya Behr was excellent, going 3-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Katherine Mazouch was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Meanwhile, Hays' rock-solid pitcher showed up for the team's third consecutive shutout last Thursday. They didn't even let Dodge City on the board, marking the Indians' second-straight 15-0 shutout. The Indians haven't had any issues with the Demons recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive victory against them.
Lanie Becker made a splash while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. Becker was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Riley Dreher, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with five RBI, three runs, and one triple. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Jaylee Summers, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.
Hays always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .586. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .586 or higher every time they've taken the field this season.
Hays' win bumped their record up to 3-0. As for Great Bend, their victory bumped their record up to 12-3.
Everything went Great Bend's way against Hays in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Great Bend made off with a 13-3 win. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Indians have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
