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Great Bend Bat Cats survive wild opener
Victory features dramatic finish
SPT_LF_ Tyler Stuhlsatz DSC_70011.jpg
Bat Cats Pitcher Tyler Stuhlsatz - photo by Lori Farmer
Updated: Jun 3, 2024, 2:09 PM
Published: Jun 2, 2024, 4:57 AM

BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

Nearly all the rules of baseball had to be applied by the time the Great Bend Bat Cats won a wild 6-3 victory over the Kansas Cannons in Saturday's Sunflower Collegiate League home opener.

Bat Cats reliever Julio Heredia from Krugerville, Texas finished a 21/3-inning save by striking out Mike Williamson to leave the bases loaded. Heredia walked Gannon Snyder, Chase Clemons and Hunter Alvord. The Cannons delivered 11 hits, but stranded 12 baserunners.

Opening night Fireworks were appropriate after the Bat Cats pulled out a victory.

The craziest play occurred when Jordan Tucker was left hobbled at home plate when he apparently hit the baseball off his shoe with two runners on base. When the eighth-inning play wasn't properly called, the Cannons turned an inning-ending double play with Tucker hobbled at home because the baseball hit his foot.

A huge hometown crowd watched as Kade Goeke's would-be RBI single glance off baserunner Joey Marker to prevent a seventh-inning run. The seventh started when Tucker was called out on a bold attempted steal of home. 

Jesse Ponce scored when Kyler Horsman drew a bases-loaded first-inning walk for a 1-0 Bat Cats lead. Cannons starter Gavin Oswald yielded no hits and pitched around seven baserunners.

Zeb Henry scored on Gannon Snyder's double and Chase Clemons singled in Snyder for a 2-1 Cannons lead.

Fortunately, the Cannons' defense was generous, committing two errors that led to a 4-run fifth inning. Goeke scored on Jesse Ponce's double. Ponce  scored on Tucker's infield single. Jhett Creel scored when Cooper Smith's groundball was misplayed. Smith scored on a Garrett Ninness forceout for a 5-2 lead.

Rightfielder Tucker alertly saved a seventh-inning run when he threw out Cooper Martin at home on a Bermuda triangle base hit by Snyder. Henry scored on a passed ball for a 5-3 score. Great Bend's Tyler Stuhlsatz (1-0) worked 22/3 innings to earn the victory.

Horsman's seeing-eye single scored Creel with a valuable eighth-inning insurance run for a 6-3 lead.

BAT CATS 3, KANSAS CANNONS 2 — The Kansas Cannons executed a fifth-inning triple-play, but lost 3-2 to the Bat Cats Sunday at Augusta. 

Horsman singled and Christian Ammann was hit by a pitch to start the fifth inning. The fun started when Kyle Walker lined out to second baseman Cooper Martin. Shortstop Christian Caruso doubled up Horsman after a throw by Martin. Christian Ammann was tagged out in a rundown from Martin-to-Caruso-to first baseman Mike Williamson for an ESPN-worthy triple play.

The Bat Cats delivered superb pitching by Carson Sowell (1-0) and Carson Bougher. Sowell struck out eight batters. Bougher retired nine of 10 batters with four strikeouts in three shutout innings.

Great Bend scored three unearned runs. Horsman singled in Creel, who escaped a pickoff on an error, and Ammann doubled in Horsman for a 2-0 first inning lead. The Cannons' Williamson singled in Zeb Henry for a 2-1 score.

Creel singled in Jordan Tucker for the game-winner after Ponce reached base on a 2-out error for a 3-1 lead. Kane Springer doubled in Caruso in the sixth inning for a 3-2 score.

Kansas Cannons 002 000 100 — 3 11 3 

GB Bat Cats 100 040 01x — 6 6 1

Oswald, Willett (4), Grijalva (7) and Wray, Springer (7). Cavazos, Stuhlsatz (5), Heredia (7) and Creel. W—Stuhlsatz, 1-0. L—Willett. SV—Heredia. 2B—BC—Ponce, Ninness; KC—Snyder.

GB Bat Cats 200 100 000 — 3 8 1

Kansas Cannons 100 001 000 — 2 5 3

Sowell, Bougher (7) and Creel. Iverson, Maholland (5), Shaultz (7), Holzer (9) and Wray. W—Sowell, 1-0. L—Iverson. SV—Bougher. 2B—GB—Ammann; KC—Springer.
Cougar baseball shocks No. 3 Cowley Tigers
Barton baseball
Published: Apr 2, 2025, 9:54 PM
ARKANSAS CITY -- The Barton Cougar baseball team scored early and often plating 11 of its runs over the first four innings to upset No. 3 Cowley College 12-8 on Tuesday. The Cougars (21-8) have won four in a row over the Tigers (23-7). Barton plays Jayhawk West leader Colby at 1 p.m. Thursday at Lawson-Biggs Field. The Cougars travel to Colby Sunday. Tyler Janssen led the Cougars balanced offensive attack providing three of the Cougars six extra base hits on the afternoon, finishing 3-for-5 and single shy of the cycle. The freshman drove in four runs highlighted behind his fourth-inning three-run round tripper for his fourth of the year. Eight of Barton's nine in the lineup furnished a hit with Janssen being joined by Kyle Graves 3-for-6 day at the plate and RBI, as the duo combined for six of the Cougars 14 hits on the afternoon. Kyle Walker was second in runs produced, driving in two of his three runs during Barton's four run top of the second frame, finishing 2-for-5 at the dish with a walk. Rounding out the Cougars' multi-RBI performances was Ayden Hadley and Wyatt Yetter, each driving in two runs apiece. Hadley distributed his pair with a first inning double while Yetter added the final run of a three-run first on a groundout followed by a leadoff fourth inning blast for his first big fly of the season. Despite finishing 0-for-1 at the plate, Barrett Donaldson generated three of Barton's nine walks created with a run scored. Braden Hauschel earned a no-decision in his one-inning of work allowing three runs on two hits with a walk and strikeout. Eli Lang (1-0) notched his first collegiate victory tossing 4.1-innings in relief scattering seven hits and three runs with Landon Haines getting the final two outs of the sixth allowing one hit with a stirkeout. Andrew McCarthy tossed a scoreless seventh with a strikeout while operating around a pair of walks. Cade Kunz handled the eighth yielding two runs on a hit and collected a strikeout before handing off to Preston Golden for the ninth, as the sophomore locked it down
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