Demon softball team to face rival Garden City

    The Dodge City Lady Demons softball players have had a thorn in their side the last couple of years — their rival, Garden City.
    A year ago, the Lady Demons needed to win one game of a regular season-closing doubleheader against the Lady Buffaloes to claim the Western Athletic Conference. Garden City won both games and snatched the title away.
    A year later, Garden City ended a four-game DCHS winning streak with a split of a doubleheader to close out the regular season.
    So in a way, it could be fitting that the fifth-seeded Lady Demons' (13-7) first opponent in the Class 6A regional today at Two Rivers Youth Complex would be those same Lady Buffaloes (7-13). The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
    “We knew all along that it was a possibility,” said DCHS head coach Heather Steiner.
    Steiner said the matchup against the Lady Buffaloes helps keep the Lady Demons focused and not look ahead to the regional title game against either No. 2 seed Wichita Heights (18-2) or 11th-seeded Campus (3-17).
    “We've seen each other three times this season, so we really don't have much to hide,” Steiner said. “After (last) Tuesday, the momentum is split between us. We know they can beat us, and they know we can beat them. It will be a good, tough game.”
    The Lady Demons finished third in the Western Athletic Conference, but Steiner was pleased by the effort of her young team.
    “We could have had a few more wins, but I'm not disappointed by any means,” Steiner said. “We've had good hitting and solid defense.”
    Steiner also said the duo of senior Kelli Ralph and sophomore Karli Richardson has done a great job on the mound for the Lady Demons.
    “(Karli has) done a lot of work for us, and she works hard at practice and during games,” Steiner said. “Kelli's done a good job for us. She's had to pitch some of the tougher games, so she hasn't had as much success as Karli.”