BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
LINCOLN, Neb. — The Great Bend Chiefs Legion baseball team learned the hard way that there is no defense for walks at the Lincoln Tournament. Nine baserunners scored after getting walked. The Chiefs passed out 15 walks while losing to Sioux Falls, S.D. 8-1 and Kearney, Neb. 10-7.
The Chiefs (13-6) will start bracket play Sunday.
CHIEFS 8, LINCOLN NE 0 (G1 ) — Great Bend Chief lefthander Tyler Stuhlsatz shut down Lincoln Northeast on a four-hit shutout in an 8-0 victory Friday to start the Lincoln Legion baseball tournament. Stuhlsatz (6-1) struck out five batters and earned his sixth consecutive victory.
Chiefs' shortstop Edwin Chavez turned a Kaleb Hunt line drive into a first-inning double play. Stuhlsatz stranded Damian Rodriguez after a second-inning double.
Leadoff batter Jade Poe sparked the offense by scoring three runs with two hits and two runs batted in. Poe singled, stole second base and scored on a first-inning error. Poe scored a third-inning run on a Paco Hernandez groundout after a hit-by-pitch, stolen base and wild pitch.
The Chiefs scored four fourth-inning runs. Mathew Moeder scored on Brad Beck's sacrifice fly. Poe's double scored Chavez and Bradley Hopkins. Poe scored on a passed ball for a 6-0 lead.
Great Bend won by the eight-run rule with a two-run fifth inning. Stefan Spray reached on an error and scored on a passed ball. Chavez' single scored Mathew Moeder for the walkoff victory.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. 8, CHIEFS 1 (G2) —Five Sioux Falls baserunners scored after reaching base on walks as the Chiefs pitchers passed out eight walks. Ryan Husman and Dylan Rippentrop scored runs after third-inning walks. John Dekkenga, Peyton Lamb and Rippentrop scored fifth-inning runs after pitcher Paco Hernandez walked three consecutive batters.
Tristan Fitzsimmons drove in Husman with a groundout and Hutchinson scored on Jack Smith's timely bunt for a 3-0 lead. Husman scored on a fourth-inning wild pitch.
Great Bend's Joseph Moeder tripled and scored on Beck's fourth-inning sacrifice fly. Two Chiefs reached base in the second and third innings. Hernandez and Mathew Moeder singled to load the bases in the fifth inning, but Sawyer Mindt struck out Joseph Moeder to end the game.
Rob Hutchinson singled home Dekkenga to start a four-run fifth inning. Lamb scored on a Lincoln Vasgaard sacrifice fly. Ethan Druns doubled home Rippentrop and Hutchinson for a 8-1 final.
KEARNEY, NEB. 10, CHIEFS 7 (G3) — The Chiefs led 3-0, but Kearney took advantage when reliever Mathew Moeder (0-1) walked his first three batters in the third inning. Kearney scored four runs and held off the Chiefs' sixth-inning rally. Gavin Haberman and Stuhlsatz each delivered three base hits.
Haberman singled home Joseph Moeder and Hernandez and Stuhlsatz singled home Haberman for a quick 3-0 lead. Kearney responded on Quinn Foster's two-run double and Hudson Bertrand's sacrifice fly for a 3-3 tie after one inning.
Haberman singled home Hernandez for a 4-3 lead in the third inning. But Kearney's Beau Skala drilled a two-run single and Brodie Arnold and Kaleb Larson drove home runs for a 7-4 lead.
Arnold's two-run double and Bertrand's RBI single in the fourth inning boosted the lead to 10-4.
The Chiefs rallied when Haberman and Stuhlsatz singled in the sixth. Beck's single scored Haberman. Jade Poe's single scored Stuhlsatz and Beck for a 10-7 final score.
Lincoln NE 000 00 — 0 4 4
GB Chiefs 101 42 — 8 8 1
Lemon, Robinson (4) and Janssen. Stuhlsatz, Poe (5) and Beck. W—Stuhlsatz, 6-1. L—Lemon. 2B—GB—Poe; L—Rodriguez.
Sioux Falls 003 14 — 8 7 1
GB Chiefs 000 10 — 1 5 1
Vasgaard, Mindt (5) and Czouich. Chavez, Hernandez (4), Mathew Moeder (5) and Beck. W—Vasgaard. L—Chavez. 2B—SF—Druns. 3B—GB—Mathew Moeder.
GB Chiefs 301 003 — 7 11 0
Kearney, Neb. 304 30x — 10 11 0
Poppe and Arnold. Poe, Mathew Moeder (3), Chavez (5) and Beck. L—M. Moeder, 0-1. 2B—K—Foster 2.
