BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
GODDARD – Roger Ward’s dream of a Summerball Showdown baseball championship vanished with one poor inning. The best record in Bat Cats' history finished with a sad ending.
The Great Bend Bat Cats opened the door with three errors that led to a heartbreaking 9-7 semifinal setback to the Wellington Heat Sunday. Great Bend (33-13) lost to Summerball Showdown champion Wichita Dirtbags and the runner-up Wellington Heat.
The Bat Cats nearly qualified for the championship with a makeshift lineup that featured five last-minute replacements with Barton Community College ties.
"It was pretty disappointing the way it finished," Ward said. "This was our year to win a postseason tournament. It was fun having that group together. It was a tight-knit group that kept fighting."
Great Bend led 5-4 with starter Zach Thornton throwing a competitive five innings after a shaky first inning. Shortstop Carsen Pracht and second baseman Colter Maldanado helped preserve a 5-4 lead with a tailor-made double play on Ethan Swindler’s groundball.
But everything fell apart after second baseman Maldanado misplayed an inning-ending groundball as Niko Diaz scored for a 5-5 tie.
An apparent missed umpiring call cost the Bat Cats the third out. Ward correctly argued that Thornton's pitch hit the knob of Noah Matheson's bat when the baseball traveled 45 feet. But the play was ruled a hit batter after a brief umpiring discussion.
Joel Deakins scored when shortstop Pracht committed a throwing error on a topped groundball. Matheson alertly scored on the same play when converted first baseman Connor Allen dropped Pracht’s throw with a likely play at the plate. Owen Bucher’s single scored Hayden O’Toole for an 8-5 lead.
"We self destructed," Ward said. "For the most part, the Summerball Showdown was very comparable to the NBC World Series."
JoJo Nieves and Alex Rodgers gave the Bat Cats hope with eighth-inning runs for an 8-7 score. Nieves scored on Mike Novak’s errant pickoff throw. Sparkplug Nolan Riley drove home Rodgers on a fly ball. But Wellington reliever Isaac Rechfield picked off Connor Scott at first base.
Wellington’s Paul Schoenfeld scored a valuable insurance run for a 9-7 lead on Ian Lanik’s wild pitch. Schoenfeld stole second and third base off timely breaks off the base.
The Bat Cats (3-2) compiled eye-popping batting stats in five tournament games. Maldanado batted .524 (11 for 21) followed by Nolan Riley (.474, 9 for 19); Pracht (.391, 9 for 23); Rodgers (.391, 9 for 23); Connor Scott (.364, 8 for 22) and Connor Allen (.300, 6 for 20).
Great Bend battled for a hard-fought 5-4 lead after 41/2 innings.
Pracht singled home Alex Rodgers and Maldanado’s triple scored Pracht for a 2-0 lead. Wellington responded with RBI singles by Deakins and Matheson and a Hayden O’Toole sacrifice fly.
Great Bend missed an opportunity for a 3-3 tie when Nolan Riley was cautioned to remain at third base on Connor Allen’s fly ball to centerfield with the bases loaded.
Bat Cat Connor Scott ignited a 3-run fifth inning with a leadoff homer. Two seeing-eye bloop singles handed the Bat Cats a 5-4 lead. Pracht scored on Allen’s single. Maldanado scored on Tyrus Riley’s second RBI single.
WICHITA DIRTBAGS 4, WELLINGTON HEAT 3 – Dirtbags pitcher Trent Smith pitched six innings Sunday with 72 pitches after a 127-pitch 9-inning gem against the Kansas Cannons Saturday. Dirtbags hitter Garryn Plummer delivered three RBIs.
GB Bat Cats 200 030 020 – 7 10 3
Wellington 400 040 01x – 9 9 2
Thornton, Austin (5), Lanik (7) and Nottlemann. Diaz, Luebbert (5), Novak (6), Rechfield (8) and Swindler. W—Luebbert. L—Thornton, 1-2. SV—Rechfeld. 2B—W—Matheson. 3B—GB—Maldanado. HR—GB—Scott.
SUMMERBALL SHOWDOWN
SUNDAY
CHAMPIONSHIP–(7) Wichita Dirtbags 5, (5) Wellington Heat 3
SEMIFINALS–(5) Wellington Heat 9, (8) Great Bend Bat Cats 7; (7) Wichita Dirtbags 7, El Dorado 6
SATURDAY'S QUARTERFINALS
(8) Great Bend Bat Cats 11, (1) Corn Belt, Neb. 5
(5) Wellington 10, (4) Park City Rangers 8
(7) Wichita Dirtbags 3, (2) Kansas Cannons 1
(3) El Dorado 7, (11) Newton Rebels 0
FRIDAY'S BRACKET
(16) Wichita Black Sox 13, (17) ICT Avengers 0; (1) Corn Belt, Neb. 14, (16) Wichita Black Sox 4; (8) Great Bend Bat Cats 4, Kansas Curve 3
(13) Cluckers 6, (20) McPherson 5; (4) Park City 10, (13) Cluckers 0; (5) Wellington 11, (12) Midwest Moos 0
(18) Valley Center 9, (15) Chicago Pumas 7; (2) Kansas Cannons 9, (18) Valley Center 8; (7) Dirtbags 10, (10) Oklahoma City 5
(19) Wichita (316) 12, (14) U.S. Military 3; (3) El Dorado 11, (19) Wichita (316) 4; (11) Newton Rebels 4, (6) Palm Springs 2
BAT CATS (33-13, 26-10)
W—McPherson Pipeliners 12-5 (W Albus 1-0)
W—Hays Larks 5-3 (W Lanik 1-0)
L— Hays Larks, 0-8 (L Gonzalez 0-1)
W —316 Elite, 9-5 (W Stuart 1-0)
W —316 Elite, 3-2 (W Austin 1-0)
W—Dodge City A’s, 5-2 (W Riley 1-0)
W—Dodge City A’s, 18-1 (W Tower 1-0)
W—Mulvane Patriots, 15-2 (W Lanik 2-0)
W—Mulvane Patriots, 7-1 (W Gonzalez 1-1)
W— Mulvane Patriots, 8-0 (W Albus 2-0)
W— Mulvane Patriots, 11-0 (W Stuart 2-0)
W—316 Elite, 15-0 (W Nedved 1-0)
W—316 Elite, 13-1 (W Howell 1-0)
W—Newton Rebels, 4-1 (W Tower 2-0)
W—Newton Rebels, 11-7 (W Austin 2-0)
W—Newton Rebels, 6-3 (W Lanik 3-0)
L—Newton Rebels, 2-6 (L Albus 2-1)
L—Haysville Aviators, 3-4 (L Rose 0-1)
W—Haysville Aviators, 8-1 (W Tower 3-0)
W—Haysville Aviators, 6-3 (W Lanik 4-0)
W—Haysville Aviators, 7-5 (W Riley 2-0)
W—Hutchinson Monarchs, 4-3 (W Thornton 1-0)
L—Hutchinson Monarchs, 2-6 (L Albus 2-2)
L—Hutchinson Monarchs, 6-14 (L Tower 3-1)
L—Hutchinson Monarchs, 3-7 (L Lanik 4-1)
W—Kingman Islanders, 17-1 (W Stuart 3-0)
L—Kingman Islanders, 3-4 (L Nedved 1-1)
L—Kingman Islanders, 5-6 (L Brett Allen 0-1)
W—Kingman Islanders, 4-3 (W McWilliams 1-0)
W—Derby Twins, 4-3, 14 innings (W Howell 2-0)
L—Derby Twins, 3-4 (L Tinkler 0-1)
W—Derby Twins, 10-5 (W Lanik 5-1)
W—Derby Twins, 12-7 (W Stuart 4-0)
W—Cheney, 4-1 (W Rose 1-1)
L—Cheney, 5-15 (L Riley 2-1)
W—Cheney, 16-7 (W Howell 3-0)
L—Cheney, 4-9 (L Tinkler 0-2)
W—Wichita Lobos, forfeit; W—Wichita Lobos, forfeit; W—Wichita Lobos, forfeit; W—Wichita Lobos, forfeit
L—Wichita Dirtbags, 5-7 (L Thornton 1-1)
W—Wichita Black Sox, 16-5 (W Redeker 1-0)
W—Kansas Curve, 4-3 (Stuart 5-0)
W—Corn Belt, Neb. 11-5 (W Tyrus Riley 3-0)
L—Wellington 7-9 (L Thornton 1-2)
