Tough Stretch

Sportszone
HIGH PLAINS
TUESDAY
TOUGH STRETCH
MARCH 22, 2016
8A
Seward shakes no hitter to salvage split

By ROY ALLEN
Seward sports information director
In a matchup featuring two teams
swinging red hot bats in their past
stretch of games, Mondays doubleheader between Seward County and
Trinidad State looked to be a high
scoring affair. The opposite couldnt
have been more true. In Game 1 of the
twinbill, Trinidad State right hander
Jessica Salbato spun a no-hitter against
the Seward bats in a 2-0 Trojan win
while the Lady Saints rebounded with a
4-3 win in Game 2, hanging on late to
split the doubleheader.
Game 1 was dominated by the two
pitchers. Neither team had a
baserunner through the first two
innings.
The first hit of the game didnt come
until the fifth inning when the Trojans,
the top home run hitting team in the
country, popped a solo shot to give
Trinidad a 1-0 lead.
The Lady Saints put their first runner
on base in the bottom of the fifth when
Kristyna Garcia walked, and a Trojan
error on the infield put two on with
nobody out. A sacrifice bunt moved
runners to second and third with one
out, but the Lady Saints couldnt score,
grounding out on the infield and
striking out to end the inning.
A misplayed ball in the Seward
outfield eventually allowed Trinidad to
extend their lead to 2-0.

Kearney kept Trinidad in check in the
seventh to give the Lady Saints a
chance in their final at bats, but a 1-2-3
inning for Seward ended the game
while giving Trojan pitcher Jessica
Salbato a no-hitter.
The loss marked the first time all
season that the Lady Saints were no-hit
and the third time they have been shut
out.
Kearney suffered a tough luck loss,
allowing just three hits and one earned
run to the slugging Trojans, falling to 86 on the year in the circle.
In the first inning of Game 2, the
Trojans loaded the bases but were
unable to score. That missed opportunity would come back to haunt them
in a major way.
The Lady Saints wasted no time in
taking out their first game frustrations
on Trinidad in Game 2, getting an RBI
single from Brittany Corrales and an
RBI groundout from Garcia to jump in
front of the Trojans 2-0 after one inning
of action.
Corrales smashed a single to right
with two outs and the bases loaded in
the second inning, scoring two more
runs to push their lead to 4-0.
Lady Saint starter Jaidyn Mawhinney
kept the powerful Trojan bats in check
all afternoon, allowing just unearned
runs in the fourth and fifth innings to
keep Seward in control, 4-2.
Sewards offense went ice cold after

the first two innings, failing to score
another run through the sixth inning
while they clung to the 4-2 lead into the
seventh inning.
Trinidad grounded into what looked
like a tailor made double play ball, but
an error on the throw to second put
runners on the corners with just one
out, putting the tying run on first and
bringing the go ahead run to the plate.
A single loaded the bases for Trinidad
and a sacrifice fly brought a run home
to make it a one run game, 4-3.
Next up to the plate stepped Chelsey
Runyon for Trinidad who entered the
day with a .429 average and seven
home runs on the season. But
Mawhinney struck Runyon out to seal
the 4-3 win for the Lady Saints.
Seward outhit Trinidad 6-4 in the
game, getting a 3 for 3 game from
Taylor Kathler and two hits and two
RBIs from Corrales.
Mawhinney put together her best
pitching effort of the year, allowing just
four hits and three unearned runs to
improve to 6-7 on the year.
The split moved Seward to 15-19 on
the year while Trinidad State loses just
their third game in a month, seeing
their record go to 21-8.
The Lady Saints will travel to Colby
Friday and Northeastern Saturday for a
four-game swing before returning home
next Tuesday for a battle with Lamar.
TOP PHOTO: Kennedy Brunson reaches for a ball that just missed her glove on an overthrow
Monday. Despite the error, the Lady Saints were able to hold on for a 43- win in the second game
of a double header against Trinidad at Lady Saints Field.
ABOVE: First baseman Hannah Clark, left, talks to pitcher Jaidyn Mahinney Monday. Mahinney was
able to strand the tying run at third base, and the Lady Saints escaped with a 4-3 win in the
second game of a double header with Trinidad State. L&T photos/Earl Watt
Its a catch! No its not!

By BARRYWILNER
AP Pro FootballWriter
BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) Its a
catch.
No its not.
Even though NFL owners wont vote on
any proposals regarding what constitutes a
reception in their games, competition
committee co-chairman Rich McKay and
officiating director Dean Blandino spent
more time trying to clarify the rule and
fielding questions about it Monday than on
any other subject.
There will be tweaks to the language but
no changes in the catch rule. The criteria
remain the same: control of the ball; two
feet on the ground in bounds; and enough
time to clearly become a runner.
Deviating from that, Blandino explained,
would severely complicate the officials
jobs, while the aim is to simplify the calls in
real time.
The key part of the rule allows for
consistency in calls on the field, Blandino
said.
The rule also is a factor in player safety
issues.
Parks & Rec

seeking summer
workers to help
with programs
Special to the Leader &Times
Would you like to work for the
Recreation Center and have a fun
job?
We are currently accepting applications for a variety of positions,
including concession workers,
summer adventure counselors,
tennis instructors, and batting cage
attendants.
If you want to work in the
evening, we are looking for people
with baseball and softball
knowledge. We need people to be
youth umpires and USSSA adult
softball umpires.
If you are interested, applications
can be picked up at the Liberal
Recreation Center.
For more information please
contact the Recreation Office
during regular business hours, 8
a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays at 6260133.
Its tied to the defenseless receiver rule,

Blandino said. You dont want to shorten
the time a receiver is protected from hits to
the head, etc.
Blandino and McKay recognize and
readily admit determining what is a catch is
among the toughest calls for officials.
They cite the speed of the action
Blandino calls them bang-bang plays
and how TV technology has improved.
High-definition replays in slow motion can
make virtually every play a potential subject
for controversy.
The league consulted former and current
receivers, coaches, front office personnel
and officials while reviewing the catch rule.
They were unanimous that we need to
continue to use video to show examples
and teach, Blandino said. Not just for the
media and fans, but for the players and
coaches and officials.
Blandino also said the league is working
toward having an eighth official on the
field in games beginning in 2017 who
would focus on the defensive line, particularly in the run game. With the league
recently having moved the umpire behind
the offensive backfield, there is added
concern about spotting defensive holding

in the trenches.
Not surprisingly, Blandino was not
enamored of proposals from some teams to
expand replay and coaches challenges.
Suggestions have ranged from being
allowed to challenge any call except on
scores and turnovers, which already are
automatically reviewed, to increasing the
number of challenges from two to three.
Allowing challenges on penalty calls
would lead to rewriting the rulebook and
... create a different look of officiating.
The proposal to spot the ball at the 25yard line instead of the 20 on touchbacks
on kickoffs is something the competition
committee wanted to do several years ago
when the kickoff was moved to the 35-yard
line.
We felt like ... were still getting a lot of
returns from deep in the end zone, McKay
said. This gives the option to take a knee
and take (the ball) to the 25.
One somewhat exotic option the owners
discussed Monday was staging a regularseason game in China, perhaps as early as
2018.
A detailed analysis of how much interest
Baltimore Ravens football head coach John Harbaugh, left, talks to members of the media
at the NFL owners meeting in Boca Raton, Fla., earlier today. AP Photo/Luis M.Alvarez
there would be in such a game in the
worlds most populous country is under
way. But few details, including which
Chinese city the league will target, have
been settled.
Quietly, several teams have expressed a
willingness to be involved in a game in
China.
This year, the NFL will stage three

games in London and return to Mexico for
a regular-season game in November.
The NFL had planned to play a
preseason game in China once before, in
2007 in Beijing, but it was canceled.
Germany also has expressed interest in
hosting an NFL regular-season game.
Built by hand.
From the moment Seymour Rogers
dug an 88-foot water well with his
hands, to when others came and continued
to forge a city out of the hardened
prairie sod, a community was made.
They called it Liberal.
But the work continued to create something
better than the day before, and that hard work
has continued for more than a century.
Throughout the month of April, the Leader&Times will
celebrate those who continue to do the hard work,
whether it is in the field, in a factory or on Kansas
Avenue. Join us as we present ...
LIBERAL
a labor of love
coming in April
LEADER
&TIMES

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Sportszone

MARCH 22, 2016

Seward shakes no hitter to salvage split

extend their lead to 2-0.

Sewards offense went ice cold after

Its a catch! No its not!

Parks & Rec

Its tied to the defenseless receiver rule,

concern about spotting defensive holding

This year, the NFL will stage three

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