ELLINWOOD — New season — same old amazing Great Bend Bat Cats.
Seward County’s Brendan Madsen rescued the Bat Cats with the game-winning two-run homer for a thrilling 6-5 comeback opening baseball victory over the Haven Warhawks.
The Bat Cats trailed the entire night until Madsen drilled a two-run homer to score Seth Gerardy off reliever Connor Brooks for a 6-5 lead.
Bat Cats reliever Chandler Gant (Southwest Tennessee) struck out three Haven batters in the ninth inning to lock down the victory. Bat Cats relievers Daniel Hegarty, Trey Boren and Gant combined for six innings in a hard-fought effort.
The Bat Cats play against the McPherson Pipeliners at Hoisington Friday and compete at McPherson Saturday.
The Sunflower Collegiate League’s Warhawks led 5-4 when Blake Springer’s sacrifice fly drove home Jacob Denney in the seventh inning.
Haven’s James Marcinkowski singled home Gamm in the first inning after Austin Oblas started with back-to-back walks.
Barton Cougar Nolan Riley singled home Jack Berdovsky for the Bat Cats’ first run in the second inning for a 1-1 tie.
Marcinkowski delivered the game’s first big hit with a two-run homer that scored Max Gamm in a three-run third inning. Bat Cats starter Austin Oblas struck out Ryan Dearing, but he reached base safely on a throwing error and scored on Gamm’s double.
The Bat Cats rallied from a 4-1 deficit. Seth Gerardy doubled home Jimmy Cramer and Nolan Riley for a 4-3 score after four innings. Cramer’s single drove home Chris Swanberg for a 4-4 tie after five innings.
Wednesday marked the first time the Bat Cats worked together outdoors after rainy weather forced them indoors Tuesday.
The Bat Cats (26-20) won three games at the NBC World Series last year, beating the Dallas Dirtbags 9-5, the Hattiesburg Black Sox 7-2 and the Inland Empire Golden Bears 8-4. The Cheney Diamond Dawgs beat the Bat Cats 5-3 on two runs on wild pitches.
“We hope to make it back to the NBC World Series,” said Great Bend coach Roger Ward. “It’s all about gelling, playing for each other and buying into the program. We built the team the same way, but we have better pitching.”
Local Ellinwood baseball legend Benny Worman sparked the Great Bend Bat Cats with a ceremonial first pitch.
The 87-year-old Worman threw a perfect strike on his second try at John Worman Field, named after his father on a perfect summer night.
Haven 103 000 100 — 5 6 1
Bat Cats 010 210 02x — 6 9 1
Cater, Fronk (6), Boyer (7), Brooks (8) and Williams. Oblas, Hegarty (4), Boren (7), Gant (8) and Gerardy. W—Hegarty, 1-0. L—Brooks, 0-1. 2B—GB—Berohn, Gerardy; HW—Gamm. HR—GB—Madsen; HW—Marcinkowski.