GARDEN CITY – The Hays High softball team opened their season with a split against Tuesday. The Indians defeated Liberal 6-4 in their opener then lost 3-1 on a controversial game-winning home run by the host Buffaloes.
Game 1: Hays 6, Liberal 4
The Indians scored two runs
in the fourth to break a 3-3 tie. Aubree Thomaas singled to drive in Haley
Rees. Dezarae Schmidt drove in the second run on a sacrifice fly. Hays pushed
the lead to 6-3 on a Rees single in right which drove in Elle Dreiling.
Liberal scored a run in the seventh thanks to two singles and two walks before Riley Dreher got a strikeout to end the game.
Dreher went 3-for-3 with two triples in her high school debut and picked up the complete game victory in the circle with six strikeouts and six walks.
Dezarae Schmidt drove in two runs.
Game 2: Garden City 3, Hays 1
The Buffaloes hit a controversial 2-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to
break a 1-1 tie on a ball that appeared to go wide of the foul pole but was
ruled fair.
It came after the Indians tied the game on a Lakyn Zimmerman double to left which scored Dezarae Schmidt in the top of the inning.
Riley Dreher had two of the Indians six hits.
Aubree Thomas went the distance in the circle allowing three runs on four hits with 10 strikeouts and two walks.
The Indians host Abilene in a doubleheader Thursday. The doubleheader will be broadcast on KFIX (96.9-FM).