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Great Bend Bat Cats shock Hays Larks
Bat Cats make bracket play
spt deh bat cats logo

BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

WICHITA – Sunflower Collegiate League 1, Kansas Collegiate League 0.

The Great Bend Bat Cats scored the first upset of the NBC World Series with a 5-4 victory Sunday over the Hays Larks, a former Jayhawk League powerhouse. Chase Gibson doubled home Dawson Pomeroy and Chandler Bloomer after a pair of ninth inning walks for the game-winning hit.

"I was looking for something straight to hit. I knew he had a pretty good fastball," Gibson said. "I felt comfortable all night."

Hays' Jerrod Belbin tripled and scored on Griffon Everitt’s ninth-inning sacrifice fly that centerfielder Daunte Freeman tracked down. Reliever Tanner Howe (5-2) retired Jim DeLeon and Grant Lung to end the ballgame. Starter Jarrett Seaton yielded three runs with two strikeouts.

Freeman rescued the Bat Cats with several spectacular catches. Shortstop Clay Lockett and second baseman Tyson Cheatum turned a double play.

The Bat Cats (24-16) lost 7-5 to the Waco (Texas) Missions Monday. Hays (1-1, 3 run differential) clinched first place in the pool in a three-way tie. The Bat Cats (minus 1 run) qualify for bracket play against the Wichita Sluggers with a 2-run loss. Hays beat Waco 4-0 in Saturday's first game. 

Ryan Monson doubled home Nolan Riley and Duante Freeman drove home Lockett on a second-inning ground out.

The red-hot Belbin tripled home Alex Strachen, George Sutherland and Mikey Gangwish for a 3-2 lead after four innings. Dawson Pomeroy doubled home Freeman in the fifth inning for a 3-3 tie.

Pinch hitter Enzo Bonventre, added from the Newton Rebels in the Sunflower League, doubled in the eighth, but Howe retired DeLeon, Wyatt Divis and Strachen.

The Sunflower Collegiate League teams have started 7-1 in the NBC Tournament. They've swept the Kansas Collegiate League (2-4) in three games.

GB Bat Cats 002 010 002 – 5 7 0

Hays Larks 000 300 001 – 4 10 2

Seaton, Howe (8) and Bloomer. Hays, Neff (5), Munsch (6), Marrufo (8), Tavera (9) and McGuire. W–Howe. L–Marrufo. 2B–GB–Monson, Pomeroy, Cheathum, Gibson; H–Belbin 2, Bonventre. 3B–H–Belbin. 

 NBC TOURNAMENT

WICHITA STATE, ECK STADIUM

POOL A—1—Hutchinson Monarchs 2-0; 2—Wichita 316 Elite 1-1;  3—Palm Springs (Calif.) Chill 0-2; G1—316 Elite 11, Palm Springs 3; G2—Hutchinson 7, 316 Elite 4; G3—Hutchinson 6, Palm Springs 5

POOL B—1—Wichita Sluggers 2-0; 2—Denver (Colo.) Cougars 1-1; 3—Wellington Heat 0-2; G1—Sluggers 8, Wellington 1; G2—Wichita 10, Denver 3; G3—Denver 5, Wellington 4

POOL C—1—Derby Twins 2-0; 2—Dodge City A’s 1-1; 3—Jasper (Ind.) Reds 0-2; G1–Derby 7, Jasper 1; G2—Derby 10, Dodge City 3; G3—Dodge City 10, Jasper Reds 0

POOL D—1—Hays Larks 1-1 (8-5); 2—Great Bend Bat Cats 1-1 (10-11); 3—Waco (Texas) Missions 1-1 (7-9); G1—Hays 4, Waco 0; G2–Bat Cats 5, Hays 4; G3—Waco 7, Bat Cats 5

TUESDAY’S BRACKET PLAY

Hutchinson Monarchs 7, Dodge City A’s 1

Great Bend Bat Cats 6, Wichita Sluggers 3

Derby Twins 5, Wichita 316 Elite 2

Hays Larks 2, Denver Cougars 0

WEDNESDAY'S BRACKET PLAY

Derby Twins vs. Hays Larks

Hutchinson Monarchs vs. Great Bend Bat Cats 

THURSDAY’S BRACKET PLAY

POOL 1—THURSDAY—G1—San Diego Waves vs. Texas Express, 1; G2—Cheney Diamond Dawgs vs. Seattle Studs, 7; SATURDAY—G3—winners; G4—losers

POOL 2—FRIDAY—G1—Game Day (Colo.) Saints vs. qualifier 1; G2—Santa Barbara (Calif.) Foresters vs. Haysville Aviators, 7; SUNDAY—G3—winners; G4—losers 

POOL 3—THURSDAY—G1—Kansas Cannons vs. San Antonio Angels, 3:30; G2—Colorado Cyclones vs. Fairbanks Goldpanners, 9:30; SATURDAY—G3—winners; G4—losers

POOL 4—FRIDAY—G1—Lonestar Baseball vs. qualifier, 3:30; G1—Liberal Bee Jays vs. San Diego Stars, 9:30; SUNDAY—G3—winners; G4—losers


Larned softball sweeps Ellis
karley lemuz
Larned pitcher Karley Lemuz - photo by Janet Fleske Special to the Tribune
Larned softball wins opener LARNED — Larned's softball team scored 39 runs to dominate the Ellis Railroaders 21-4 and 18-5 in Friday's doubleheader. LARNED 21, ELLIS 4 (G1) — Larned's Brooks Simmons tripled and drove home a trio of runs. Driving home a pair of runs were Eowyn Hedding, Maya Wilson, Teagan Walker, Jadyn Crosby and Jillian Hagerman. Hagerman and Karley Lemuz each doubled. Lemuz (2-0) pitched five innings to earn the victory. The Indians took advantage of nine walks, seven errors, six wild pitches and two hit batters. Ellis' Maleah Vine drove home two runs. Rylan Aschenbrenner had an RBI LARNED 18, ELLIS 5 (G2) — Larned's Hedding doubled and drove in three runs. Walker and Hagerman each drove in two runs. Driving home one run were Lemuz, Brooke Simmins, Crosby, Ivy Hope and Gillian Smith. Crosby (2-0) pitched five innings to earn the victory. Railroader Vine drove home two runs. Kia Mader and Raegan Jimenez drove in runs. Larned 010 938 — 21 15 1 Ellis 400 000 — 4 2 7 Lemuz and Brooke Simmons. Rome and Ashenbrenner. W—Lemuz, 2-0. L—Rome, 0-3. 2B—L—Hagerman, Lemuz. 3B—L—Brooke Simmons Larned 240 2(10) — 18 17 4 Ellis 00 14 — 5 6 2 Crosby and Hedding. Rome and Jimenez. W—Crosby, 2-0. L—Rome, 0-4. 2B—L—Hedding, Walker; E—Rome, Jimenez. 3B—L—Walker
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