BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

LARNED – To no one's surprise, the Great Bend Chiefs and Larned Indians came down to the final pitch to start the summer baseball season. Larned salvaged a split of Thursday's doubleheader with an 8-3 victory after the Chiefs won the opener 10-8.

CHIEFS 10, LARNED 8 (G1) – The Chiefs survived a seventh-inning rally when reliever Chayse Gruber struck out Dillan Smith with the bases loaded and two out to strand the tying and running runners. 

Larned rallied from a 9-4 deficit with a four-run seventh inning. 

Five walks and a hit batter sparked Larned's rally. Dillan Smith scored on Jacob Grosfield's bases-loaded walk. Carlos Ibarra scored on a wild pitch. Luke Wilson singled and scored on Colin LaBouchardiere's bases-loaded walk. Logan Erway's bases-loaded walk scored Grosfield for a 9-8 score.

But Gruber found a way to record three strikes against Dillan Smith to end the thriller.

Chiefs' catcher Colin Hall delivered two key plays, throwing out Aidan Smyth in the first inning and picking off Dillan Smith in the fifth inning.

Colin Hall delivered a two-run single that scored Sage Koelsch and Paco Hernandez for a 2-0 lead. Joe Moeder scored on a double steal for a 3-0 lead. 

Larned rallied for a 3-3 tie. Kaden Pontious singled home Aidan Smyth. Carlos Ibarra singled home Jack Stelter and Dillan Smith for a 3-3 tie.

The Chiefs led 5-3 when Paco Hernandez scored on a fourth-inning pickoff attempt and Gruber scored on an error. Gavin Haberman scored on a fifth-inning error for a 6-3 lead. Colin Hall's sixth-inning bunt scored Jade Poe for a 7-3 lead.

Grosfield singled and scored on Stelter's hit-by-pitch for a 7-4 score. The Chiefs scored two valuable seventh-inning insurance runs when Sage Koelsch doubled and scored on an error. Gruber scored when Hall was hit by a pitch.

LARNED 8, CHIEFS 3 (G2) – Jack Stelter highlighted an 8-3 victory with a two-run triple in a six-run third inning. The game was limited to four innings. Larned pitcher Dillan Smith threw 81 pitches in a four-inning outing.

Aidan Smyth scored on a first-inning passed ball after three consecutive walks. Mello Bryant's second-inning single scored Sanders for a 2-0 lead.

The Chiefs scored two third-inning runs. Paco Hernandez singled home Matt Moeder. Sage Koelsch scored on Chayse Gruber's groundball that Aidan Smyth and Ian Orth turned into a double play. 

Stelter's two-run triple scored Aidan Smyth and Mello Bryant to cap a six-run third inning. Kaden Pontius scored on Brady Hope's single. Logan Erway scored on Orth's groundout. Luke Wilson scored on a wild pitch and Sanders scored on an error for a 6-2 lead.

The Chiefs' Matt Moeder singled home Jade Poe in the fourth inning.

No baseball was played this spring due to the Kansas State High School Activities Association canceling the season due to the coronavirus.

Great Bend 300 212 2 – 10 3 1 

Larned 003 001 4 – 8 6 5  

Joe Moeder,  Spray (3), Haberman (6), Gruber (7) and Hall. Aidan Smyth, Alvarez (3), Riley Pontius (6), Kaden Pontius (6) and Stelter. W–Spray. L–Alvarez. 

Great Bend 002 1  – 3 4 2 

Larned 116 0 – 8 5 1   

Hernandez, Zahnter (3), Hall (3) and Beck. Dillan Smith and Stelter. W–D. Smith. L–Hernandez. 3B–L–Stelter. 

GREAT BEND CHIEFS (1-3)

WL–Chiefs vs. Larned 11-10, 3-8

LL–Chiefs at Hays 3-8, 0-10  

6-15–Chiefs vs. Larned, 6 DH

6-19-20– Chiefs at McPherson Tournament

6-23– Chiefs vs. Pratt, 4; Hays TMP, 8

6-25—Salina Tournament (Chiefs vs. Capital Mudcats; Chiefs vs. Lawrence Next Level)

6-26—Salina Tournament (Chiefs vs. Topeka Scrappers)

6-27—Chiefs at Salina Tournament

6-28—Chiefs at Salina Tournament

6-29–Chiefs at Pratt, 6 DH

7-1– Chiefs at Salina Falcons, 6 DH

7-11– Chiefs vs. Smith Center, 11 a.m. DH 

7-15– Chiefs vs. Salina Falcons, 6 DH

7-18– Chiefs at Smith Center, 11 a.m. DH

7-22– Chiefs vs. Hays, 6 DH

 BY JIM MISUNAS

jmisunas@gbtribune.com

LARNED – To no one's surprise, the Great Bend Chiefs and Larned Indians came down to the final pitch to start the summer baseball season. Larned salvaged a split of Thursday's doubleheader with an 8-3 victory after the Chiefs won the opener 10-8.

CHIEFS 10, LARNED 8 (G1) – The Chiefs survived a seventh-inning rally when reliever Chayse Gruber struck out Dillan Smith with the bases loaded and two out to strand the tying and running runners. 

Larned rallied from a 9-4 deficit with a four-run seventh inning. 

Five walks and a hit batter sparked Larned's rally. Dillan Smith scored on Jacob Grosfield's bases-loaded walk. Carlos Ibarra scored on a wild pitch. Luke Wilson singled and scored on Colin LaBouchardiere's bases-loaded walk. Logan Erway's bases-loaded walk scored Grosfield for a 9-8 score.

But Gruber found a way to record three strikes against Dillan Smith to end the thriller.

Chiefs' catcher Colin Hall delivered two key plays, throwing out Aidan Smyth in the first inning and picking off Dillan Smith in the fifth inning.

Colin Hall delivered a two-run single that scored Sage Koelsch and Paco Hernandez for a 2-0 lead. Joe Moeder scored on a double steal for a 3-0 lead. 

Larned rallied for a 3-3 tie. Kaden Pontious singled home Aidan Smyth. Carlos Ibarra singled home Jack Stelter and Dillan Smith for a 3-3 tie.

The Chiefs led 5-3 when Paco Hernandez scored on a fourth-inning pickoff attempt and Gruber scored on an error. Gavin Haberman scored on a fifth-inning error for a 6-3 lead. Colin Hall's sixth-inning bunt scored Jade Poe for a 7-3 lead.

Grosfield singled and scored on Stelter's hit-by-pitch for a 7-4 score. The Chiefs scored two valuable seventh-inning insurance runs when Sage Koelsch doubled and scored on an error. Gruber scored when Hall was hit by a pitch.

LARNED 8, CHIEFS 3 (G2) – Jack Stelter highlighted an 8-3 victory with a two-run triple in a six-run third inning. The game was limited to four innings. Larned pitcher Dillan Smith threw 81 pitches in a four-inning outing.

Aidan Smyth scored on a first-inning passed ball after three consecutive walks. Mello Bryant's second-inning single scored Sanders for a 2-0 lead.

The Chiefs scored two third-inning runs. Paco Hernandez singled home Matt Moeder. Sage Koelsch scored on Chayse Gruber's groundball that Aidan Smyth and Ian Orth turned into a double play. 

Stelter's two-run triple scored Aidan Smyth and Mello Bryant to cap a six-run third inning. Kaden Pontius scored on Brady Hope's single. Logan Erway scored on Orth's groundout. Luke Wilson scored on a wild pitch and Sanders scored on an error for a 6-2 lead.

The Chiefs' Matt Moeder singled home Jade Poe in the fourth inning.

No baseball was played this spring due to the Kansas State High School Activities Association canceling the season due to the coronavirus.

Great Bend 300 212 2 – 10 3 1 

Larned 003 001 4 – 8 6 5  

Joe Moeder,  Spray (3), Haberman (6), Gruber (7) and Hall. Aidan Smyth, Alvarez (3), Riley Pontius (6), Kaden Pontius (6) and Stelter. W–Spray. L–Alvarez. 

Great Bend 002 1  – 3 4 2 

Larned 116 0 – 8 5 1   

Hernandez, Zahnter (3), Hall (3) and Beck. Dillan Smith and Stelter. W–D. Smith. L–Hernandez. 3B–L–Stelter. 

GREAT BEND CHIEFS (1-3)

WL–Chiefs vs. Larned 10-8, 3-8

LL–Chiefs at Hays 3-8, 0-10  

W–Chiefs vs. Larned, 7-3

6-19-20– Chiefs at McPherson Tournament

6-23– Chiefs vs. Pratt, 4; Hays TMP, 8

6-25—Salina Tournament (Chiefs vs. Capital Mudcats; Chiefs vs. Lawrence Next Level)

6-26—Salina Tournament (Chiefs vs. Topeka Scrappers)

6-27—Chiefs at Salina Tournament

6-28—Chiefs at Salina Tournament

6-29–Chiefs at Pratt, 6 DH

7-1– Chiefs at Salina Falcons, 6 DH

7-11– Chiefs vs. Smith Center, 11 a.m. DH 

7-15– Chiefs vs. Salina Falcons, 6 DH

7-18– Chiefs at Smith Center, 11 a.m. DH

7-22– Chiefs vs. Hays, 6 DH