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Great Bend Bombers 16s win Oklahoma City baseball title
bombers 16
The Great Bend Bombers 16 and under baseball team celebrates a title in Oklahoma City, Okla. Front row Collin Saffa (3), J.J. Grove (27), Trenton Kern (15), Daxton Minton (12), Koehn Ribordy (6), Slade Mohr (9), back row Hunter Herrman (5), Peyden Oelger (2), Campbell Coleman (44), Carson Umphres (22), Owen Kaiser (13), Kale Kern (7), Lane French (19).

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Great Bend Bombers 16-and-under baseball team captured the Big Fire Oklahoma City Memorial Classic.

The Bombers tied Edmond (Okla.) Squad 2024 11-11, beat Norman (Okla.) Extra Effort 9-5, and lost to the Guthrie (Okla.) Warriors 9-3 in pool play. In bracket play, they beat the Guthrie Warriors 10-2 on Hunter Herrman's complete game, Tulsa Rawlings 7-6 on Daxton Minton's steal of home and Squad 2024 5-1 behind Dax Minton's 5-inning pitching performance.

“These young players play with a chip on their shoulder and know that they can compete," said coach Chris Umphres. "I have confidence in them and want to put them in situations to learn the game and get better throughout their careers."

The Bombers feature players from Great Bend, Ellinwood and Hoisington. The Bombers (4-1-1) travel to the Kansas City Slugfest at Parkville, Mo. June 1-4.

BOMBERS 11, EDMOND (Okla.) SQUAD 11 – Carson Umphres drove home four runs and J.J. Grove drove in two runs as the Bombers salvaged an 11-11 tie.

BOMBERS 9, NORMAN (Okla.) EXTRA EFFORT 5 – Bombers Trenton Kern and Campbell Coleman each drove in two runs. Reliever Daxton Minton threw 21/3 shutout innings.

GUTHRIE (Okla.) WARRIORS 9, BOMBERS 3 – Bomber Owen Kaiser drove home a run.

BOMBERS 10, GUTHRIE WARRIORS 2 (BRACKET) – Bomber Daxton Minton drove home three runs and Koehn Ribordy, Kaiser and Kern drove in two runs.

BOMBERS 7, TULSA RAWLINGS 6 (SEMIFINAL) – Ribordy kept Tulsa in check in a 5-inning outing. The Bombers stole seven bases, including Minton's game-winning steal on a catcher's throw back to the pitcher. Umphres, Kern and Hunter Herrman delivered RBIs.

“The Tigers' coach told me that a young group of players from a small town in Kansas wasn’t supposed to beat this Tulsa team," Chris Umphres said. "That was a great win for our guys. It showed them that playing the game aggressively can put pressure on opponents. The difference in that game was our stolen bases."

BOMBERS 5, EDMOND SQUAD 1 (CHAMPIONSHIP) – Bombers pitcher Minton was brilliant with a 65-pitch, four strikeout performance along with a 2-run single that scored Umphres and Kern.

Kaiser, Kern and Grove delivered RBI seventh-inning singles.

Edmond, Okla. 230 024 0 – 11 8 5

GB Bombers 230 011 4 – 11 8 3

Aller, Haller (3), Munson (5) and Stull. Kaiser, Oelger (4), Mohr (6), Kern (7) and Coleman. 2B—S—Stull, Christenson. 3B—GB—French 2, Umphres; S—Corley.

GB Bombers 600 030 – 9 9 2

Norman, Okla. 211 100 – 5 4 1

French, Saffa (3), Minton (4) and Saffa, Kaiser (3). Burgess, Montoya (1), Keltner (6) and Blair. W—Minton. 2B—EE—Blair. 3B—GB—Grove, Ribordy.

GB Bombers 002 100 0 – 3 4 1

Guthrie, Okla. 710 100 x – 9 8 2

Coleman, Oelger (2), Kern (5) and Kaiser. Varner, Pilgrim (7) and Dial. L—Coleman. 2B—Dial, Mott, Pilgrim. 3B—GB—Umphres.

Guthrie, Okla. 020 000 0 – 2 5 0

GB Bombers 014 005 x – 10 9 1

Wooden, Tucker (5), Tarbox (5), Shriver (6) and Henry. Herrman and Kaiser. W—Herrman. L—Wooden. 2B—GB—Coleman; W—Pilgrim. 3B—GB—Umphres.

GB Bombers 220 012 – 7 5 4

Tulsa Rawlings 210 210 – 6 8 4

Ribordy, Minton (6) and Kaiser. Denim Sands, Boston Acosta (3) and Brooks. W—Ribordy. L—Acosta. Sv—Minton. 2B—T—Clagg. 3B—GB—Grove; T—Hankins.

Edmond, Okla. 000 001 0 – 1 7 1

GB Bombers 000 020 3  – 5 8 1

Minton, Kaiser (6) and Kaiser, Coleman (6). Haller, Proctor (7) and Stull. 2B—GB—Kern.