By:Brian Niblock of The Pratt Tribune Wednesday, 12 March, 2008

The Pratt Community College softball team sizzled after winning the 2007 PCC Softball Tournament title. A six-game winning streak and 10 wins in an 11-game stretch ensued.

Will PCC follow the same path after defending their title at the 2008 tournament Sunday on Angood Field?

The same fire may have been lit after the Beavers successfully defended their 2007 title with a 4-2 win over Seward County in the 2008 championship game Sunday.

PCC head coach Ron Hill was seeking a revival of the Beavers' confidence heading into the 2008 tournament. He found it.

The Beavers finished 2-1 in the round-robin prior to the championship game.

"Seward County is a good club; they are one of the top teams in our conference," said Hill. "We played tough defense, and for our young pitchers, it has to be huge for them, because they went out and battled."

The Beavers began their journey to the title Saturday, shutting out Independence 13-0 before sustaining their lone loss, 4-2, to Lamar (Colo.).

Sunday morning, they topped Seward 2-1, earning the title game berth.

Wedged into Saturday's play was a make-up with Lamar.

PCC came out on top 10-9. Sophomore pitcher Amber Youngers picked up the victory.

In Sunday's championship game, Cassie Barber drew a one-out, fifth-inning walk then scored on Luisa Escobar's single, breaking a 2-2 tie and pushing PCC in front 3-2.

The Beavers added an insurance run on Brooke Bell's base-loaded single to right in the sixth.

PCC could have inflated the cushion, but Saint pitcher Cara Russell struck out two Beavers with the bases packed to end the inning.

Seward generated nine hits off PCC starter Yessica Gutierrez, but the freshman right-hander came though at key moments.

With two on and one out in the fifth, she recorded her first two strikeouts of the game, dousing the rally.

Her snag of Tasia McEntire's seventh-inning line drive started a game-ending double play.

"Yess has good stuff. If she just gets her confidence, it is going to be big," said Hill. "That was a big win for her. Hopefully, that will help her and get her over the hump."

Kristyn Kness and Gutierrez are providing glimpses of what Hill desires - strong pitching.

In the Indy wipe out, Kness allowed a lone hit - coming in the first inning - and a walk in the run-rule shortened five-inning contest.

"She has thrown really well her last three or four starts," said Hill of Kness. "She just keeps the ball down, moves it around, changes speeds. She just doesn't give people anything to hit. At least she hasn't been, and that is the key for her."

The Beavers led Independence 5-0 in the second inning and added four in the fourth and five in the fifth.

Escobar and Bell had three singles apiece.

Kness was marvelous in Sunday's round-robin win against Seward.

The freshman possessed a no-hitter until Lindsay Garchinski's double in the fourth.

Kness allowed three hits and fanned seven Saints.

PCC shortstop Daniella Leal cracked a two-run first-inning home run. It held up, giving Kness the victory.

Leal had suffered a finger injury and missed the Beavers' wins over Cloud County March 4.

Seward's Courtney Auger was the hard-luck loser.

She fanned the side the first two innings and ended up with nine. In the end, she gave up four hits and a walk.

Gutierrez restricted Lamar to six hits, but sustained the 4-2 loss.

The Runnin' Lopes led 3-0 when Jennifer Reifschneider's home run brought PCC within two, 3-1.

The championship weekend pushed PCC's record to 7-6 overall.