Red Demons winning streak ends as Dodge City splits with Garden
By: Shelton Burch
Dodge Globe Sports Editor
The Dodge City Red Demon softball team saw its eight-game winning streak end in the first game of Tuesday night’s doubleheader against the Garden City Buffaloes.
The Red Demons won game two of the doubleheader 5-3. They are now 13-3 overall, and 5-1 in conference play.
Garden City never trailed in game one, scoring one in the bottom of the first, three in the bottom of the third and one in the bottom of the fourth, allowing the Red Demons only one run in the top of the third, and two more in the top of the seventh in the 5-3 win for the Buffaloes.
Senior Grace Ruehle led the Red Demons with two hits and tied for a teamhigh one run in the first game.
Junior Caroline Williams had a hit, as did junior Madeline Kalscheur, junior Madison Armstrong and sophomore Zabree Rodriguez.
For the Buffaloes, sophomore
Yazmin Vargas had a game-high with two runs, and tied a game-high with three hits, tying teammate and junior Hailey Dart.
In a rare down-game, Red Demon freshman pitcher Raemie Lopp allowed 10 hits and four earned runs in six innings of action in game one.
She also walked three, striking out five.
For the Buffaloes, Dart allowed four hits and just one earned run in seven innings of play, striking out eight while walking two.
Despite the stumble in game one of the doubleheader, the Red Demons bounced back.
Like in the first game, the Red Demons fell behind 1-0, this time in the second inning, but they scored one in the top of the third, three in the top of the fourth, and one in the top of the sixth.
The Buffaloes got one in the bottom of the second to take the lead early, but didn’t score again until the bottom of the seventh, at which point the Demons were able to shut the door on a possible comeback, winning 5-3.
Williams and Kalscheur each had two hits, but freshman Raemie Lopp led the team with three in game two.
Red Demons to score a run, with Kalscheur, Rodriguez, Williams and sophomore Elise Helfrich all getting the others.
Ruehle had a hit in the second game, as did senior Shaylyn Turner.
In the pitching circle, junior Reagan Lopp pitched 5.2 innings, allowing three earned runs and eight hits, striking out four, and walking one.
The Red Demons head to Emporia for Tournament Friday. They’ll play Andover Central Friday, and Overland Park-Blue Valley Southwest on Saturday.
