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Webster's bombs spark Bat Cats
webster3
Great Bend Bat Cat Jackson Webster from Birmingham, Ala. is properly saluted by teammates after a grand slam homer. - photo by JIM MISUNAS Great Bend Tribune
Updated: Jun 30, 2023, 10:06 PM
Published: Jun 30, 2023, 3:46 AM

BY JIM MISUNAS

jmisunas@gbtribune.com

On a wild and crazy night, Great Bend's Jackson Webster gave his teammates fair warning when his first inning hard-hit foul ball drilled teammate Connor Chavez in the dugout. 

Webster enjoyed a Babe Ruthian Night with a grand slam homer and 2-run homer to spark a hard-fought 15-8 victory over the Colorado Springs Cage Rats Thursday.

Webster's 2-run shot ignited a game-clinching 5-run eighth-inning rally. Brady Wilson and Marshall Hale delivered RBI singles and Robby Bolin scored on a wild pitch in the eighth inning for a 15-8 lead.

JoJo Nieves delivered a 2-run third-inning triple to score Marshall Hale and Matthew Mendez. Nieves and Brady Wilson were thrown out at home by Cage Rat left fielder Matt Lemker and right fielder Jackson Hower.

The Cage Rats played inspired baseball after a 51/2-hour, 380-mile trip from Colorado Thursday. The Cage Rats trailed 10-3, but climbed within 10-8 after 71/2 innings.

Whitting delivered a first-inning RBI. Connor Bertsch drilled a 2-run fifth-inning homer. Whitting, Lemker and Hower drove home runs in a 4-run sixth inning. Hower's eighth-inning RBI sliced the lead to 10-8.

The summertime fun started early on a night offering free hot dogs, hamburgers and $1 beer.

Grant Nottlemann enjoyed an epic at-bat with three foul balls that damaged vehicles, including the prized Bat Cat travel bus. In the eighth inning, Marshall Hale drilled another foul ball into the Bat Cat dugout. Cage Rat Coby DeJesus departed the game after a fastball from Tyrus Riley struck him in the batting helmet.

The Bat Cats and Cage Rats resume the 3-game series Friday and Saturday.

Cage Rats 010 024 010 — 8 17 1

GB Bat Cats 052 030 05x — 15 13 2

Fried, Bertsch and Whitting. Riley Austin (6), Howell (7), Stuart (9) and Hale. W--Riley. L--Fried. 2B—CR—Carlson. 3B—GB—Nieves. HR—GB—Webster 2; CR--Bertsch.

SUNFLOWER  COLLEGIATE

Great Bend Bat Cats 15-3 18-5

Kansas Cannons 12-6 13-8

Derby Twins 9-9 11-10

Haysville Aviators 8-8 8-9

Newton Rebels 7-10 9-10

Hutchinson Monarchs 7-11 7-11

Kingman Islanders 3-14 5-14

6-29—Bat Cats 15, Colorado Springs 8; Hays Larks 7, Cannons 3

6-30—Colorado Springs at Bat Cats; Dodge City at Twins; Rebels at Aviators

7-1—Colorado Springs at Bat Cats; Islanders at Aviators; Wellington at Twins

7-2—Sunflower All-Stars at Great Bend, 5:30
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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