BY JIM MISUNAS

jmisunas@gbtribune.com

After letting the first game get away, the Great Bend Bat Cats left no doubt. The Bat Cats roared past the Wichita Sluggers 10-0 in the nightcap of Thursday's Sunflower Collegiate League baseball doubleheader.

Starter Zach Curry (3-0) was flawless with a two-hit shutout. Chase Gibson drove home four runs.

The Bat Cats (18-10) maintain second place in the Sunflower West and the Sluggers (13-15) remain in fourth place.

SLUGGERS 7, BAT CATS 3 (G1, 9 innings) — Wichita Slugger Julian Rip was a one-man wrecking crew with a a two-run triple and three runs scored.  

The Sluggers broke a 3-3 when the Bat Cats self destructed. The Bat Cats committed two errors and reliever Zach Poe walked two batters. Mason Hartman scored an an error on a potential double play ball. Rip made the Bat Cats pay with a two-run triple that scored Alex Jackson and Dalton Daily. Adam Theis singled home Rip for a 7-3 lead. 

The Bat Cats loaded the bases in the ninth inning, but Jarrett Dotson retired Ryan Monson to end the ballgame.

Spotty defense cost a quality start for Bat Cat pitcher Jarret Seaton, who yielded two runs on error and a third run on a sacrifice fly.

The Sluggers led 1-0 when Julian Rip scored on a two-out error by shortstop Collin Meinert.

The Bat Cats rallied with “small ball,” for three fifth-inning runs. Nolan Riley tripled and the Sluggers failed to make a play on three consecutive plays.

Braden Carpenter hit a topped ball that Colton Bertus misplayed. Riley scored on a perfect bunt by Alex Guevara. Meinert followed with another perfect bunt to load the bases. Carpenter scored on Ryan Monson’s groundout. Guevara scored on Daunte Freeman’s sacrifice fly.

A misplay cost the Bat Cats in the sixth inning. Julian Rip doubled. Freeman’s throw to home kept Rip at third base on Adam Theis’ single, but Rip scored when catcher Chandler Bloomer threw the ball into centerfield.  Theis scored on Josh Jones’ sacrifice fly for a 3-3 tie.

BAT CATS 10, SLUGGERS 0 (G2) — Curry struck out 10 batters in a dominating performance.

Chase Gibson delivered the big hit with a two-run double that sparked a five-run fourth inning. Gibson drove in four runs.

Gibson's double scored Hunter Romero and Zach Poe. Brenden Tauber's single scored Gibson. Nolan Riley and Tauber scored on a passed ball for a 6-0 lead.

Brady Michel tripled and scored on Gibson's second-inning groundout. The Bat Cats scored three fifth-inning runs. Brady Michel singled home Daunte Freeman. Romero scored on Gibson's sacrifice fly. Michel scored on Nolan Riley's groundout for a 9-0 lead.

Collin Meinert scored on Hunter Romero's sixth-inning groundout.

Wichita Sluggers 000 100 204 — 7 9 2

GB Bat Cats 000 030 000 — 3 9 4

Dotson and Baxley. Seaton, Poe (6) and Bloomer. 2B—W—Rip. 3B—GB—Riley; W—Rip.

Wichita Sluggers 000  000 0 — 0 2 1

GB Bat Cats 010 531 x — 10 11 1

Koetter, Petix (6) and Baxley. Curry and Gibson. W—Curry, 3-0. L—Koetter. 2B—GB—Gibson. 3B—GB—Michel.