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Great Bend Bat Cats lose season opener 10-9
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KINGMAN ISLANDERS 10, BAT CATS 9 

KINGMAN — Kingman Islander Jesus Cruz stole a victory  by stealing home on a pitch by Great Bend Bat Cat Brett Allen for a 10-9 baseball victory. Cruz singled and advanced on two ninth-inning wild pitches.

The Bat Cats forced a 9-9 when JoJo Nieves singled home Peyton Robertson. Connor Chavez reached third base, but Nieves was tagged out attempting to reach second base. 

Great Bend led 4-0  Nolan Bushko scored on a bases-loaded walk. Matt Mendez scored on Brady Kreutzer's fly ball. Jackson Webster scored on a steal. Peyton Robertson scored on Jace Wentling's single. 

The Islanders scored seven runs off Bat Cats reliever Parton, who yielded six hits and walked two batters. Landon Helm, Cruz and Dan Taylor delivered RBIs.

In a 4-run seventh, Mendez singled home Nieves, Webster doubled home Robby Bolin and Mendez and Armani Raygoza scored on a wild pitch

GB                     ab  r  h  rbi    avg     Islanders  ab r h rbi  avg

Bushko CF/P  2  1  1     0    .500     Cruz 2B   6  3  3    1   .500

Bolin CF        0  1  0  0  .000  Taylor LF        5  1  1  1  .200

Mendez SS        3  2  1  1  .333  Waliczek SS      5  2  3  2  .600

Raygoza 1B       2  1  0  0  .000  Plummer C        2  0  0  0  .000 

Bartels 1B      1  0  0  0  .000   Van der Walt C  3  1  2  1  .667

Webster 3B       4  1  1  2  .250  Malish RF        4  1  3  0  .750

Robertson DH   2  2  1  1  .500  Erway 1B         4  0  0  0  .000 

Woita DH        0  0  0  0  .000  McBeth DH        1  0  0  0  .000

Kreutzer LF     3  0  0  1  .000   Neill DH/P      1  1  1  2 1.000 

Parton LF/P     1  0  0  0  .000  Reitmayer CF     3  0  0  1  .000

Wentling C       4  0  1  0  .250  Freund 3B        2  0  0  0  .000

Chavez 2B        4  0  1  0  .250   Helm 3B         3  1  1  1  .333

Nieves RF        4  1  2  1 .500                       

               30  9  8  6                        39  10 14  9

BatCats 400 000 401 — 9 8 0

Islanders 000 017 011 — 10 14 12

2B—Webster, Cruz, Taylor, Helm. SF—Kreutzer. E—Freund. LOB—GB 9, Islanders 14. DP—Islanders 2.

Bat Cats                     IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO

Winkler                      1   1   0   0   0   0

Treto                        1   1   0   0   1   2 

Howell                       1   0   0   0   1   1

Hernandez                    1   1   0   0   1   0

Bushko                       1   1   1   1   0   1

Parton                       0.2   6   7   7   2   0

Curry                        0.1   0   0   0   0   1

Gruber                       1   0   0   0   0   2

Allen                        1.2   4   2   2   3   4                             

                               8.2  14  10  10   8   11

Islanders

Roberts                      1    2   4   1   2   1

Munz                         1    0   0   0   2   0

Yamka                        2    0   0   0   1   1

Chamberlain                  2    0   0   0   2   3

Fontainne                    0    3   4   4   2   0

Johnson                      2    0   0   0   2   4

Neill                        1    3   1   1   0   1                             

                                9    8   9   6  11  10

WP—Allen 2, Roberts 1, Munz 1, Fontainne 2.

 


Jonathan Mariani has been hired as the Great Bend Bat Cats head baseball coach after serving as an assistant coach for two seasons.

Mariani has worked as a volunteer assistant baseball coach for Barton Community College since 2019 with primary responsibilities for coaching outfielders and first base coach.  Mariani was responsible for taking care of Lawson-Biggs Field, the baseball facility, and grounds keeping for the softball field and track/field complex for two years.

Mariani coached for the Fort Collins, Colo. Foxes in 2019 before moving to Great Bend. Mariani played outfield and second base at Fort Hays State University from 2013-2018. He played summer baseball for the Topeka Golden Giants.  He served as an assistant coach for Hays Thomas More Prep in 2019 while finishing his master’s degree at Fort Hays State.

2023 BAT CATS

JUNE—6-3— L Kingman Islanders 9-10;

 6-5/6/7—at Haysville Aviators, 7; 6-8/9—Hutchinson Monarchs, 7; 6-10—at Hutchinson Monarchs, 7; 6-12—Newton Rebels, 7; 6-13—at Newton Rebels, 7; 6-14—Newton Rebels, 7; 6-15/16—Derby Twins, 7; 6-17—at Derby Twins, 7; 6-19—Kingman Islanders, 7; 6-20—at Kingman, 7; 6-21—Kingman Islanders, 7; 6-22—at Kansas Cannons, 7; 6-23/24—Kansas Cannons, 7, 6; 6-26—at Dodge City, 7; 6-27/28—at Liberal BeeJays, 7; 6-29/30

JULY—1—Colorado Cage Rats, 7; 2—All-Star Game, Al Burns Field; 3—Dodge City, 3; 5/6/7—Haysville Aviators, 7; 8/9—at Hutchinson Monarchs, 7; 10—Hutchinson Monarchs, 7; 12—at Newton Rebels, 7; 13—Newton Rebels, 7; 14—at Newton  Rebels, 7; 15/16—at Derby Twins, 7; 17—Derby Twins, 7; 19—at Kingman Islanders, 7; 20—Kingman Islanders, 7; 21—at Kingman22/23—at Kansas Cannons, 7; 24—Kansas Cannons, 7; 26/27—Liberal BeeJays, 7; 29/30/31—Jayhawk Tournament