BY JIM MISUNAS

jmisunas@gbtribune.com

BAT CATS 5, NEWTON 2 (Monday) –  Jayhawk leader Great Bend (6-1) was sparked by left fielder Nolan Bushko, who threw Will Franklin out at home on Hsu He Chieh’s fifth-inning single to preserve a 0-0 tie.

The Bat Cats responded with five runs that started with a Newton error. Robby Bolin scored on Armani Raygoza’s double. Raygoza scored on Jake Tatom’s double, Nolan Bushko forced home Jace Woita on a bases-loaded walk. Tatom scored on a wild pitch. Connor Chavez singled home Grant Nottlemann for a 5-0 lead. Tatom, Bushko and Chavez each delivered two hits.

Newton rallied with runs in the sixth and seventh innings on RBI singles by Levi Martin and Hsu He Chieh.

Newton’s Cole Miears was the tying hitter in the ninth, but catcher Grant Nottlemann threw out a baserunner and reliever Brett Allen struck out Miears to end the ballgame.

Newton 000 001 100 – 2 3 2

GB  Bat Cats 000 050 00x – 5 9 2

Golden, Newton (6), Hammer (8) and Lewis. Treto, Hernandez (6), Bartles (8), Allen (9) and Nottlemann. W—Treto, 1-0. L—Golden. SV—Allen. 2B—GB—Wentling, Mendez, Tatom.

BUHLER — Great Bend Bat Cat southpaw Kyle Winkler (Sam Houston State) and righthander Chayse Gruber (Neosho County) combined for a 4-hit shutout for a 6-0 victory over the Hutchinson Monarchs to split Sunday’s baseball doubleheader. 

The Monarchs scored two eighth-inning runs for a 6-5 victory in the opener.

The first-place Bat Cats (5-2, 5-1 Sunflower) return home Monday against the Newton Rebels.

BAT CATS 6, MONARCHS 0 (G2) — Winkler struck out eight batters and Great Bend native Gruber struck out four batters in two innings.

Connor Chavez scored on Robby Bolin’s third-inning single. Jace Woita scored on a fourth-inning error to ignite a 3-run inning. Brady Kreutzer scored on a wild pitch.  Chavez singled home Marshall Hale.

Armani Raygoza drilled a 2-run fifth-inning homer to cap the scoring.

MONARCHS 6, BAT CATS 5, 8 innings (G1) — Great Bend gift wrapped a game-winning rally with two walks and an error that led to Blake Bradford’s game-winning eighth-inning single.

Bat Cat Peyton Roberson scored on a JoJo Nieves eighth-inning sacrifice fly for a 5-4 lead.

Two hit batters led to a trio of RBIs by Hutchinson’s Jaden Gustafson, Drew Bugner and Jackson Young. Raygoza’s single scored Nieves in the third frame for a 3-1 score.

Chavez doubled home Matthew Mendez and Woita and Grant Nottlemann scored on a fifth-inning error for a 4-3 lead. Will Edmunson scored on Max Buettnback’s fifth-inning single for a 4-4 tie.

GB Bat Cats 001 030 01 — 5 7 2

Hutchinson 030 010 02 — 6 9 2

Bushko, Riley (4), Bartels (6), Allen (7), Schoneboom (8) and Nottlemann. Smith, Bell (4), Camden Cornelius (7), Kelly (8) and Harris. W—Kelly, 1-0. L—Schoneboom. 2B—GB—Mendez, Chavez.

GB Bat Cats 001 320 0 — 6 9 1

Hutchinson 000 000 0 — 0 4 2

Winkler, Gruber (6) and Hale. Novotny, Bradford (4), Shelby (5), Harris (7) and Young. W—Winkler. 2B—H—Black. 3B—GB—Bolin. HR—GB—Raygoza.

cSUNFLOWER COLLEGIATE

Great Bend Bat Cats 7-1

Kansas Cannons 5-2 

Derby Twins 5-3 

Hutchinson Monarchs 2-3

Haysville Aviators 2-3 

Newton Rebels 1-4

Kingman Islanders 0-6

6-14—Twins at Monarchs; Islanders at Cannons; Bat Cats at Rebels

6-13—Bat Cats 9, Rebels 6; Twins 7, Monarchs 6; Cannons at Islanders

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