Bat Cats stretch win streak to 13
BY JIM MISUNAS
NEWTON – With one perfect swing, Great Bend’s Simon Larranaga erased the frustration of four double plays.
Larranaga ignited a 4-run rally with a pinch-hit home run that sparked Friday’s 6-3 Sunflower Collegiate League comeback baseball victory over the Newton Rebels.
“Simon made me look like a genius,” said Bat Cats coach Roger Ward.
The first-place Great Bend Bat Cats (15-1, 11-0 Sunflower) have swept a club record 13 consecutive games. Great Bend travels to Newton (7-5, 5-5) Sunday and Haysville Monday.
“It’s definitely been a fun ride,” Ward said. “When I played baseball at Kentucky, we broke the school record for a winning streak, 13 in a row. The competition has been tougher against Newton. But it doesn’t matter who we put out on the diamond. They’re all doing their part.”
The breaks swung Newton’s way for seven innings.
The Rebels turned four double plays, twice after the Bat Cats had two baserunners reach base. Colton Maldanado hit into two double plays and Bodi Wallar and Matthew Howell also hit double play groundballs.
Larranaga, from Temple College, Texas, snapped a 3-3 tie with a homer on a 3-1 count off Newton reliever Alex Gillig. Raithen Malone singled and escaped a rundown after catcher Bailyn Sorensen trapped him off base. Wallar singled home Malone, who scored on Newton’s fourth error of the night for a 6-3 lead. The Bat Cats scored six runs off 23 baserunners with 2-for-16 hitting with runners in scoring position.
Bat Cats sparkplug JoJo Nieves, who reached base four times, scored on Wallar’s first-inning double for a 1-0 lead.
Newton maintained control for six innings after Sorensen’s 3-run first-inning homer. Bat Cats starter Tyrus Riley recorded two strikes on the first six batters, but Ethan Guerra walked and Drake Girard singled after extended at-bats. Sorensen ripped a 3-run homer.
Riley retired 10 consecutive batters starting with the first inning. He stranded two fifth-inning baserunners on a Girard popout. Ian Lanik (3-0) pitcher two scoreless innings.
and newcomer Hagen Rose earned a save by retiring six consecutive batters.
The Bat Cats scratched out two hard-earned runs for a 3-3 tie. Maldanado scored on Malone’s second-inning groundball. Nieves scored on a seventh-inning double play for a 3-3 tie.
“Our leadoff batter JoJo Nieves gave us a spark getting on base four times,” Ward said. “We got baserunners on, but we didn’t get a lot of them to score. We could’ve easily lost that ballgame. Our guys showed toughness and we showed our depth off the bench. Everyone is invested in what we’re doing with good attitudes.”
The Bat Cats top two batters, Alex Rodgers and Kyle Gates, are day-to-day with minor ailments.
GB Bat Cats 110 000 130 – 6 15 0
Newton 300 000 000 – 3 6 4
Riley, Lanik (6), Rose (8) and Allen. Bills, Hein (5), Gillig (8), Geisler (9) and Sorensen. W—Lanik, 3-0. L—Gillig. 2B—GB—Wallar, Gotreaux. HR—GB—Larranaga (4); N--Sorensen.
2022 BAT CATS SCHEDULE
BAT CATS (15-1, 11-0)
JUNE
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—Wichita 316, 15-0 (W Nedved 1-0)
W—Wichita 316, 13-1 (W Howell 1-0)
W—Newton Rebels, 4-1 (W Tower 2-0)
W—Newton Rebels, 11-7 (W )
W—Newton Rebels, 6-3 (W Lanik 3-0)
6-19—at Newton Rebels, 6
6-20—at Haysville Aviators, 7
6-21-22—Haysville Aviators, 7
6-23—at Haysville Aviators, 7
6-25—Hutchinson Monarchs, 6
6-27—Hutchinson Monarchs, 7
6-28-29—at Hutchinson Monarchs, 7
6-30—Kingman Islanders, 7
JULY
7-1—at Kingman Islanders, 7
7-2—Kingman Islanders, 7
7-3—at Kingman Islanders, 3
7-7—Derby Twins, 7
7-9—Derby Twins, 6
7-10—at Derby Twins, 7
7-12—Cheney, 7
7-13—at Cheney, 7
7-14—Cheney, 7
7-15—at Cheney, 7
7-18—at Wichita Lobos, 7
7-19—Wichita Lobos, 7
7-20—at Wichita Lobos, 7
7-21—Wichita Lobos, 7
2022 BAT CATS ROSTER
1—Hagen Rose, RHP, Temple College, Troy, Texas
2—Raithen Malone, IF, Temple, Baytown, Texas
3—Colter Maldanado, IF, Barton CC, Lawrence
4—Alex Rodgers, CF, Barton CC, Omaha, Neb.
6—Brady Kreutzer, utility, Fort Hays, Hays
7—Zane Spinn, IF, Temple, Holland, Texas
8—JoJo Nieves, utility, Barton CC, Junction City
9—Dawson French, OF, Temple, Lakeway, Texas
10—Grant Fahrlander, C/IF, U of Texas, Bee Cave, Texas
12—David Stuart, RHP, Barton CC, Lawrence
13—Adam Mustow, RHP/utility, Hutchinson, Sydney, Australia
14—Dre Amaral, IF, Bossier Parrish, Ontario, Canada
15—Cade McWilliams, LHP, Hendrix College, Arlington Texas
16—Hunter Gotreaux, IF, Hutchinson CC, Moss Bluff, La.
17—Kyle Gates, OF, Temple, LaVernia, Texas
18—George Austin, RHP, NE Texas, Dallas
19—Riley Silva, OF, Barton CC, Ontario, Canada
21—Ian Lanik, RHP, Barton CC, Eagle, Neb.
22—Matt Nedved, LHP, Barton CC, Topeka
23—Matthew Howell, OF/LHP, NE Texas CC, Huntsville, Texas
24—Connor Allen, C, Barton CC, Wichita
25—Simon Larranaga, 1B, Temple, Mont Belvieu, Texas
26—Si Schumacher, C/IF, NE Texas CC, Carthage, Texas
27—J.C. Gonzalez, LHP, SW Christian, Oklahoma City
28—Dash Albus, LHP, Temple, Abilene, Texas
30—Bodi Wallar, utility, Hutchinson CC, Papillion, Neb.
31—Brayden Tower, RHP, Emporia State, Shawnee
32—Colby Christian, 1B/OF, Temple, Porter, Texas
34—Tyrus Riley, RHP, Barton , Bentonville, Ark.
Great Bend 11-0 15-1
Hutchinson 8-3 8-3
Cheney 8-3 9-3
Derby 5-5 8-5
Newton 5-5 7-5
Wichita Lobos 6-6 6-6
Haysville 3-3 6-4
Kingman 3-7 3-7
316 Elite 0-7 2-9
Mulvane 1-10 1-10
6-21—Haysville at Great Bend, 7; 316 Elite at Cheney (2); Kingman at Mulvane; Hutchinson at Derby
6-20—Lobos at Newton (2); Great Bend at Haysville, 7
6-19—Great Bend at Newton, 6; Derby at Haysville
6-18—Kingman at Cheney; Mulvane at Wichita Lobos; Derby at Haysville; 316 Elite at Hutchinson
6-17—Great Bend 6, Newton 3; Cheney 15, Kingman 1; Hutchinson 16, 316 Elite 0; Mulvane 13, Wichita Lobos 12; Haysville 6, Derby 3
6-16—Great Bend 11, Newton 7; Hutchinson 12-10, 316 Elite 2-4; Derby 9, Haysville 2; Cheney 9, Kingman 8; Lobos 11-4, Mulvane 1-3
