BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
The Great Bend Bat Cats delivered no hits for four innings and committed three errors that handed the Sunflower Seeds a 4-3 lead Saturday at Al Burns Field.
But Dylan Blomquist ignited a five-run fifth inning with a double and Tyler Henry capped the rally with a three-run homer for an 8-4 lead. The Bat Cats completed a five-game sweep of the Seeds with a 12-5 Sunflower Collegiate League baseball victory.
Henry struck out his first two appearances before delivering.
“I’ve been fouling pitches back,” Henry said. “I decided to attack the inside part of the baseball and good things happened. Anytime you sweep somebody in afive-game series, that’s big.”
Bat Cats sparkplug Alex Rodgers was hit by a fifth-inning pitch and sprinted home on Blomquist’s double. Blomquist scored on Zane Spinn’s sacrifice fly. Micah Grover singled and J.D. Ortiz was hit by a pitch to set up Henry’s three-run homer.
Six Bat Cats pitchers saw action Saturday. The Bat Cats (5-0) travel to Newton Monday before returning home Tuesday.
“It’s a great start,” said Bat Cats coach Roger Ward. “We saw a lot of players bat and everyone saw live action. It’s a good week. It’s a good situation.”
Great Bend outscored the Seeds 48-13 in the five-game series keyed by quality pitching.
“Everyone who threw were effective from top to bottom,” Ward said. “I’m going pitching with our highlight.”
Seeds Owen Sheldon and Austin Bonell scored on first-inning errors. Bat Cats Rodgers, Spinn and Micah Grover scored after first-inning walks. Sheldon ripped a two-run homer in the second inning for a 4-3 Seeds lead.
The Seeds handed the Bat Cats a four-run seventh inning. Kayne McGee and Henry scored on passed balls and Jett Forrest scored on an error. Spinn singled home Rodgers to cap the four-run inning.
Seeds 220 000 010 – 5 8 2
Bat Cats 300 050 40x – 12 7 4
Mount, Freund (3), Murphy (4), Winter (5), Kauy (8) and Cusick, Viloria. Blackburn, Nedved (4), Lenocker (5), Hendricks (7), Shadrick (8), Parker (9) and Enwiya, Forrest. W—Lenocker. L—Freund. 2B—BC—Blomquist; SS--Bonell. HE—BC—Henry (1); SS—Sheldon (1)
SUNFLOWER COLLEGIATE LEAGUE
Great Bend Bat Cats 5-0
Derby Twins 5-0
Cheney D Dawgs 4-1
Wichita Sluggers 3-2
Hutchinson Monarchs 0-0
Haysville Aviators 2-3
Andale Warhawks 1-4
Newton Rebels 0-4
Sunflower Seeds 0-5
6-13–Sluggers at Diamond Dawgs; Twins at Warhawks; Aviators at Rebels
6-12–Sluggers at Seeds (DH); Aviators at Diamond Dawgs; Twins at Monarchs
6-11–Rebels at Bat Cats; Seeds at Sluggers; Aviators at Diamond Dawgs; Monarchs at Twins
6-9–Bat Cats at Rebels; Diamond Dawgs at Aviators; Monarchs at Twins
6-8–Rebels at Bat Cats; Sluggers at Seeds (DH); Diamond Dawgs at Aviators; Monarchs at Twins
6-7–Bat Cats at Rebels; Aviators vs. Diamond Dawgs; Warhawks vs. Sluggers; Twins at Monarchs
6-5–Bat Cats 8, Seeds 5; Diamond Dawgs 6-7, Warhawks 5-5; Aviators 12-2, Sluggers 9-4; Twins 5, Rebels 1
6-4–Bat Cats 8-6, Seeds 5-1; Diamond Dawgs 7, Warhawks 5; Sluggers 9, Aviators 2; Twins 13, Rebels 3
6-3–Aviators 6-5, Cannons 5-2; Twins 8, Rebels 0; Warhawks 5, Diamond Dawgs 4
6-2–Bat Cats 17-5, Seeds 2-0; Warhawks 8, Diamond Dawgs 5; Twins 8, Rebels 0; Aviators 6, Sluggers 5; Monarchs 10, Broncos 2
6-1–Twins 4, Rebels 1; Sluggers 6, Aviators 1
