Soccer soars in Liberal, softball splits in Garden City

    Soccer at Liberal
    This is the way to end a season.
    The Dodge High soccer team hadn't won a game since April 2. They had to finish their season the road against a tough Liberal team.
    Then the Red Demons (3-13) won 4-3 in double-overtime to finish the season right.
    "They just definitely left it all on the field," coach Virgil Hutchcraft said. "They played their most complete game, they played their hearts out."
    Freshman A'zlynn Thompson scored three goals and freshman Carmen Ruiz scored one.
    Sophomore Cynthia Navarro, senior Maribel Hernandez and freshman Marlene De La Torre all had assists.
    "We had plenty of chances to put it away," Hutchcraft said. "I think we shot about 20 shots, we had a lot of near misses. It was our best shooting night."
    Hutchcraft said he's happy and so is the Demon team.
    The Demons had a players only meeting after practice and decided they were tired of losing.
    "They did everything they could do get that victory," Hutchcraft said.
    "I'm happy for them, but I know we have a big test in front of us."
    The Demons will play their regional game at Maize Monday.
    Maize is one of the top teams in the state.
    But, the Demons will go into the game feeling much better about themselves and with a higher level of confidence.
    The junior varsity tied the Redskins 1-1.
    Softball at Garden City
    The Demon softball team was riding a four game winning streak Thursday when they traveled to Garden City.
    The Demons had played lock-down defense during the win-streak.
    Something went wrong in Garden City.
    The Demons lost their first game 12-2 in a run-rule. They committed four errors in the loss.
    Meanwhile, the Buffaloes had 10 hits and no errors.
    Senior Kelli Ralph suffered the loss from the pitchers circle.
    The Demons had five hits with Sophomores Emily Scheck and Carly Richardson hitting two apiece.
    In game two the Demons pulled out the victory 19-10.
    The Demons had 20 hits, but they committed eight errors.
    Richardson had the win.
    The Demons had a run-rule victory in the fifth inning of that game, but they couldn't get the three outs needed and the Buffaloes stormed back.
    Coach Heather Steiner said the Demons needed those 20 hits to win.
    In that game Scheck and senior Cheyenne Schellhamer had three RBIs apiece.
    Senior Kaylee Sotelo had two RBIs and a triple, and junior Kaci Richardson had a triple.
    Steiner said the team that played Garden definitely wasn't the same team that had won four straight.
    "We'll go to work hard at practice," Steiner said about correcting the mistakes. "For as many practices as we have before regionals."
    Steiner said she's fairly certain the Demons will play the Buffaloes in the first round of regionals.
    "It isn't anything we haven't seen before," she said. "We know we have to go out there with our best game."
    Baseball at Hays
    The Demon baseball team attempted to make-up their second game against Hays Thursday.
    The game was a make-up from Tuesdays game that was rained out.
    The Demons and Indians got in an inning and a half before rain forced it to end too.
    The Demons will travel to Great Bend today for a tri with Hutchinson.