EARL WATT
• Leader & Times
In just one season as head coach of the Lady Redskin softball team, Matt Quint created a winning program and earned a post season win, two milestones that have been difficult in recent years.
The Lady Redskins earned the eighth seed in the Class 6A West standings and traveled to Garden City Wednesday for the Regional playoffs. Liberal faced No. 8 Wichita South in the first round, and the Lady Redskins dominated in a 15-0 run-rule win.
Liberal took advantage of eight South errors to go along with 10 hits for the win.
The Lady Redskins started by pushing four runs across the plate in the first inning and then added eight runs in the second.
The Lady Redskins ended the game in the bottom of the third by pushing three more runs across the pate for the 15-0 win.
Zoey Torres took the circle for the Lady Redskins and threw all three innings and only allowed one hit and three walks while striking out four.
Taylor Harding had a triple and a double in the win.
Brooklyn Short, Haiden Lyon and Torres each also had a double. Lyon and short each had three RBIs.
The win set up a game against No. 1 seed Garden City. Liberal played the Lady Buffaloes to two close games in Liberal earlier this season, losing 12-10 and 7-4, but in the playoff game to qualify for the State tournament, Liberal came up short 14-2.
Lyon started in the circle and allowed eight runs, only two of those earned, on two hits and three walks while striking out three.
Liberal’s defense didn’t help the pitchers. The Lady Redskins committed seven errors to only one for the Lady Buffaloes.
Liberal trailed 1-0 after the first two innings before the Lady Buffaloes pushed four runs across the plate in the third.
But Garden City scored nine runs in the fourth to put the game away.
Allie Champion relieved Lyon and allowed four runs on three hits and a walk before Torres came in and allowed two runs, both unearned.
Lyon had Liberal’s only hit in the loss.
Liberal finished 15-13 for the season and earned a playoff victory.
