BY JIM MISUNAS
SALINA – Great Bend pitcher Colin Hall delivered the Chiefs an early graduation present with a two-hit shutout in an 8-0 victory over the Hutchinson Colts in Thursday’s Salina Grand Slam Tournament.
Hall will graduate from Great Bend High School Saturday and won’t be available Friday or Saturday. Hall overcame a trio of Chiefs’ errors. First baseman Paco Hernandez and shortstop Chayse Gruber combined for a 3-6 double play on Graden Peck’s second-inning groundball. Catcher Brad Beck threw out Anthony Blackwell on an attempted first-inning steal.
The Chiefs took advantage of seven Hutchinson Colts errors for a five-inning victory. The Chiefs started with a five-run first inning.
Gruber singled home Townshend Kurth and Hall for a 2-0 lead. Jade Poe and Brad Beck reached base on back-to-back errors. Joe Moeder’s single scored Gruber and Poe. Beck scored on a double steal with Moeder for a 5-0 lead.
Kurth reached base on a second-inning error and scored on Hall’s dropped pop fly for a 6-0 lead.
Hutchinson’s generosity contributed to two fourth-inning runs. Gavin Haberman raced home on a double steal with Kurth. Kurth scored when the Colts missed Paco Hernandez’s pop fly for an 8-0 lead.
Great Bend coach Randy Beck was thankful for the lack of Hutchinson defense.
“They definitely helped us out,” he said. “We didn’t hit the ball all that well. We were ahead of the ball and on our front foot.”
The Chiefs were slow to adjust in the wood-bat tournament.
“There’s an adjustment period with wood bats,” Beck said. “Hitting with wooden bats in an equalizer. We didn’t hit balls in the air to left field. We’ll see better pitchers. We need to hit better.”
The Chiefs (6-6) play the Topeka Scrappers at 2:30 p.m. Friday at Dean Evans Stadium. They play the Wichita Sluggers at 10 a.m. Saturday.
CHIEFS 8, COLTS 0
Chiefs 510 20 – 8 4 3
Colts 000 00 – 0 2 7
Hall and Beck. Turner, Eckhoff (5) and Elliott. W—Hall. L—Turner.
BY JIM MISUNAS
SALINA – The Topeka Scrappers, last year's 5A state baseball champion from Topeka Seaman, handed Great Bend Chief coach Randy Beck the worst loss in his coaching career.
The Scrappers finished off a 17-0 rout of the Chiefs with an 11-run seventh inning in Friday's Salina Grand Slam Tournament. The Scrappers (15-2) featured standouts from last year's state champion.
The Chiefs (6-7) stranded 13 baserunners and left the bases loaded twice. Chiefs' batters struck out back-to-back times in the second and third innings after loading the bases. Starter Gavin Wilhelm struck out Einar Vargas and Joe Moeder in the second inning. Reliever Cole Askew struck out Stefan Sprat and Layton Holden in the third inning.
Topeka's Kolden Howerton and Maclaine Finley each drove home three runs. Leadoff batter Micah Kobuszewski scored three runs and drove in two runs.
The Scrappers scored three runs with no hits off starter Paco Hernandez. Three walks, a hit batter, a balk and error led to a 3-0 deficit. Howerton's two-run double made it 5-0 and Kobuszewski's single made it 6-0 after six innings. Reliever Jade Poe endured a nightmarish seventh inning that featured eight hits three walks, a hit batter and two errors.
Scrappers 200 121 (11) – 17 12 0
Chiefs 000 000 0 – 0 3 3
Wilhelm, Askew (3), Howerton (6) and Vawter. Hernandez, Poe (5), Mathew Moeder (7) and Beck. W–Askew. L–Hernandez. 2B–S–Howerton. 3B–S–Polter.
POOL A–Millard, Neb. 2-0 (28-4), Hays Eagles 2-1 (31-37), Kansas Senators 1-1 (24-18), 4–Salina Falcons 0-3 (17-41)
POOL B–Topeka Scrappers 2-0 (29-0), Great Bend Chiefs 1-1 (8-17), Wichita Sluggers 0-1 (8-9), Hutchinson Colts 1-2 (9-28)
THURSDAY
G1–Great Bend Chiefs 8, Hutchinson Colts 0
G2–Hays Eagles 13, Kansas Senators 11
G3–Topeka Scrappers 12, Hutchinson 0
G4–Millard, Neb. 14, Salina Falcons 0
FRIDAY
G5–Millard, Neb. 14, Hays Eagles 4
G6–Topeka Scrappers 17, Great Bend Chiefs 0
G7–Hays Eagles 14, Salina Falcons 12
G8–Hutchinson 9, Wichita Sluggers 8
G9–Kansas Senators 13, Salina Falcons 5
SATURDAY
10 a.m. (Matson)–Great Bend Chiefs vs. Wichita Sluggers
12:15 p.m. (Matson)–Topeka Scrappers vs. Wichita Sluggers
2:30 p.m. (Matson)–Millard, Neb. vs. Kansas Senators
16 UNDER THURSDAY
McPherson 24, Salina Eagles 7
Topeka Scrappers 8, Hays Eagles 0
Omaha Wolfe Electric 13, Manhattan 6
Salina Hawks 11, Topeka Scrappers 3
Omaha Sportsclips 12, Hays Eagles 4
POOL A–McPherson 2-0 (32-12); Omaha Wolfe 1-0 (13-6); Manhattan Warriors 1-2 (21-30); Salina Eagles 0-2 (16-34)
POOL B–Salina Hawks 2-0 (28-6); Omaha Sportsclips 2-0 (16-6); Topeka Scrappers 1-2 (13-15); Hays Eagles 0-3 (7-37)
FRIDAY
Salina Hawks 17, Hays Eagles 3
Omaha Sportsclips 4, Topeka Scrappers 2
McPherson 8, Manhattan Warriors 5
Manhattan Warriors 10, Salina Eagles 9
McPherson vs. Omaha Wolfe
SATURDAY
