DERBY – Ben Sems is the Great Bend Bat Cats’ official savior. The Bat Cats (23-19) are officially headed to the NBC Baseball Championship as the fourth team from the Jayhawk League.
An 8-2 Bat Cats’ lead shrunk to 8-7 before Sems delivered a game-changing two-run homer that ignited a late-game 11-9 victory Thursday over the Derby Twins.
Brandon Bachar singled and Peyton Barnes walked. Bachar scored on a passed ball before Sems drilled a homer at Derby’s homer-friendly ballpark for an 11-7 lead. Derby kept battling against ace reliever Dawson Pomeroy, who was touched for two runs. Davis Elliot scored in the eighth inning and Russ Crippen homered in the ninth inning.
Haysville delivered the Bat Cats’ NBC trip with a shocking 12-10 victory over fifth-place finisher Dodge City (22-20) Thursday. Dodge City finished the season with a 4-13 record.
Brett Bonar doubled home Brennan Fontenot and Peyton Barnes singled home Bonar and Mateo Zunica for a 3-0 lead. Derby’s Jon Thibodeau and Conner Basher delivered RBI singles for a 3-2 score.
Jordan Wilkerson’s two-run homer scored Corrigan Bartlett and Zunica’s RBI single scored Bonar for a 6-2 lead after three innings. Hunter Romero singled home Barnes and Fontenot’s single scored Ben Sems for an 8-2 lead after four innings.
Derby’s Bret Fehr scored on a groundout and Noah Bland scored on a passed ball in the fifth inning. Greg Sanez and Tyler Myers homered in the sixth for a 8-6 score. Bland scored on a double play turned by first baseman Hunter Romero and shortstop Ben Sems.

BAT CATS 11, DERBY 9
GB 033 200 030 – 11 14 2
DT 020 022 111 – 9 13 1
Kim, Pritchard (6), Pomeroy (8) and Bonar. Mascot, Nicolson (4), McCook (8) and Thibodeau. W--Kim. L--Mascot. 2B—GB—Bartlett, Fontenot, Bonar; DT—Bland 2. HR—GB—Wilkerson; DT—Sanez, Myers, Crippen.