ANDALE, Kan. — With six games left in the regular season, both the Andale/Garden Plain and Buhler softball teams are seeking to improve their positions in the 4A west standings when the two teams met on Monday at the Andale High School Sports Complex.
Andale/Garden Plain swept the doubleheader, 8-1 and 11-2. The wins moved Andale/Garden Plain to fourth in the 4A west standings, while Buhler is now in eighth. The top four in the standings when the regular season concludes at the end of next week will host a regional.
Game 1: Andale/Garden Plain 8, Buhler 1
Andale/Garden Plain never trailed, scoring three in the second inning on an RBI single by Ryin Gibbins and a 2-run home run by Paige Stanhope. Clare Krier made it 4-0 on an RBI single in the fourth. Buhler avoided the shutout with an RBI single by Izy Schmidt in the fifth. Coti Hiner made it 5-1 in the fifth with a solo home run. In the sixth, Emily Eck hit an RBI triple, followed by an RBI single from Bella Cates and an RBI single from Brooklyn Sele.
Gibbins pitched a complete game, allowing one run on five hits, and had three strikeouts. Krier went 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI. Lilly Horne went six innings for Buhler, allowing eight runs on 13 hits. Schmidt went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI.
Game 2: Andale/Garden Plain 11, Buhler 2
Andale/Garden Plain never trailed, taking the lead in the first on an RBI single by Hiner, followed by an RBI groundout by Krier. Taylor Grimes had an RBI groundout followed by a sacrifice fly by Cates, making it 4-0. In the third, Buhler’s Alexa Adame had a sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit to 6-1. Grimes hit her first home run of the season in the third to make it 8-1. With two outs in the sixth, Buhler Tori Tustian hit a home run to make it 8-2. Andale/Garden Plain tacked on three in the sixth, a 2-run home run from Hiner and an RBI single by Krier.
Rose Molitor pitched a complete game for Andale/Garden Plain, allowing two runs on six hits and two strikeouts. Hiner went 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs. Taylor Kesinger went six innings for Buhler, allowing 11 runs and 12 hits. Tustian led Buhler at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run.
Andale/Garden Plain (13-5) travels to El Dorado on Thursday for a 4 p.m. doubleheader at East Park. Buhler (13-9) hosts McPherson on May 12.
