BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
Armani Raygoza rode to the rescue on a perfect summer night.
The El Paso, Texas native delivered three clutch RBIs to rally the Great Bend Bat Cats past the Newton Rebels 9-6 Tuesday at Al Burns Memorial Field. The Bat Cats (7-2, 7-1 Sunflower) scored seven runs in their final three at-bats. The Bat Cats overcame 11 walks and four errors.
"Armani knows he's a good hitter and waits for his pitch," said Great Bend coach Jonathan Mariani. "He carries confidence to the plate and lets the game come to him."
Newton's Drew Wardell hit an RBI double after pitcher Matthew Howell walked four batters and committed an error in a 3-run second inning.
Bat Cat Jake Tatom raced home on Nolan Bushko's second-inning sacrifice fly. Raygoza (Rio Grande Valley) doubled home Robby Bolin to slice Newton's lead to 3-2.
Cole Miears' sacrifice fly made it 4-2 Rebels.
Bolin singled home Connor Chavez and Bolin scored on Raygoza's sacrifice fly in a 3-run sixth inning. Matthew Mendez scored on Jackson Webster's single for a 5-4 lead.
Bushko singled home Marshall Hale and Brady Kreutzer and Bushko scored on back-to-back seventh-inning errors for an 8-4 lead.
Newton's Tytin Goebel homered and Lee Kuan-Linn drove home an eighth-inning run for an 8-6 score. Bat Cats reliever Kevin Schoneboom (NE Texas) retired Antonio Avila to strand the bases loaded.
"We were trying to close it down and felt a new arm (Schoneboom) would help," Mariani said. "It's cool to our pitchers battle."
Raygoza provided a valuable insurance eighth-inning homer.
"We're happy we're at," Mariani said. "Our batting lineup is too good to be shut down too long."
The Bat Cats return home Thursday and Friday against the Derby Twins.
Newton 030 001 020 — 6 7 3
GB Bat Cats 010 013 31x — 9 9 4
Corgiat, Hammer (5), Lee (7), Gillig (8) and Wardell. Howell, Stuart (4), Austin (5), Jones (7), Schoneboom (8) and Hale. W—Austin, 1-0. L—Hammer. SV—Schoneboom. 2B—GB—Raygoza, Kreutzer; N—Wardell, Haynes, Kuan-Lin. HR—GB—Raygoza (3); N—Goebel.
SUNFLOWER COLLEGIATE
Great Bend Bat Cats 7-1
Kansas Cannons 7-2
Derby Twins 5-3
Hutchinson Monarchs 2-3
Haysville Aviators 2-3
Newton Rebels 1-4
Kingman Islanders 0-8
6-19—Islanders at Bat Cats; Monarchs at Cannons; Aviators at Rebels; Twins at Heat
6-17—Bat Cats at Twins; Islanders at Rebels; Aviators at Monarchs
6-16—Twins at Bat Cats; Rebels at Islanders; Monarchs at Aviators; Cannons at Larks
6-15—Twins at Bat Cats; Islanders at Rebels; Monarchs at Aviators
6-14—Cannons 10, Islanders 5
6-13—Bat Cats 9, Rebels 6; Twins 7, Monarchs 6; Cannons 5, Islanders 1
6-12—Cannons 7, Islanders 6; Monarchs 12, Twins 9; Bat Cats 5, Rebels 2
6-11—Bat Cats 5-6, Monarchs 6-0; Rebels 5, Cannons 1
6-10—Aviators 14, Islanders 6; Cannons 6, Twins 4; Rebels 8, Curve 3
6-9—Cannons 14, Twins 7
6-8—Bat Cats 8, Monarchs 7; Twins 6, Cannons 2; Aviators 7, Islanders 6
6-7—Bat Cats 11, Aviators 4; Cannons 5, Rebels 2; Twins 12-7, Islanders 8-1
6-6—Bat Cats 4-13, Aviators 1-2; Twins 7, Islanders 3; Cannons 3, Rebels 2;
6-3—Islanders 10, Bat Cats 9; Cannons 6, Aviators 3
