Bombers celebrate runner-up finish

SEMINOLE, Okla. – Wichita Rawlings avenged an earlier loss with a dominating 11-1 championship victory over the Great Bend Bombers Sunday to capture the Wood Bat Firecracker baseball title. The Bombers 16-and-under baseball team won four of five games Friday and Saturday to advance to the championship game.

The Bombers (19-9-2) previously won Oklahoma City and Lawrence tournament titles.

“We played really good baseball teams and showed we can compete at this level,” said Bombers coach Chris Umphres. “Ultimately, we’re proud of these guys.  We got better this weekend and that is all you can ask for.” 

Bombers batting averages for the weekend were J.J. Grove, .429, 6-14; Carson Umphres, .389, 7-18; Owen Kaiser, .353, 6-17; Daxton Minton, .333, 1-3; Lane French, .333, 6-18; Koehn Ribordy, .318, 7-22; Campbell Coleman, .267, 4-15; Slade Mohr, .214, 3-14; Hunter Herrman, .176, 3-17; Jace Schartz, .077, 1-13.

The Bombers will compete at a National Level Super 16U event at Creekside Complex in Kansas City area July 13-16.

WICHITA RAWLINGS 11, BOMBERS 1 (Championship) – The Wichita Rawlings all-star team features players from Wichita Carroll, Maize High, Maize South, Hays, Goddard, Mulvane and Derby.

Great Bend's Koehn Ribordy singled home Slade Mohr after a third-inning triple.

Wichita Rawlins employed a well-balanced offense. Cal Purvis (Carroll) and Rowan Foster (Derby) each drove home two runs. Hunter Higgins (Maize South), Jace Hambleton (Derby), Carson Liles (Hays TMP), Gavin Short (Maize) and Ben Blasi (Goddard) drove in runs.

BOMBERS 3, COLORADO VICTUS 1 (Semifinal) – Bombers pitcher Koehn Ribordy continues an impressive summer with six strikeouts in a 7-inning performance.

J.J. Grove singled home Ribordy and Carson Umphres in the first inning. Grove scored on a fourth-inning error. Ribordy turned a second-inning double play. Catcher Kaiser threw out a baserunner in the fourth inning.

BOMBERS 13, OKC PURPOSE BASEBALL 5 (second round) – Baserunner Lane French set a record that will never be matched by scoring four runs in a 12-run first inning as the Bombers raced past Oklahoma City Purpose Baseball 13-5. French scored on his own and scored twice as a courtesy runner for catcher Kaiser.

Umphres and Grove each drove home three runs. Hunter Herrman and French each drove home two runs. The Bombers had 12 hits and drew seven walks.

BOMBERS 6, WICHITA RAWLINGS (15) 4 (first round) –  The Bombers converted a bases-loaded extra-innings tiebreaker into four runs. Hunter Herrman doubled home Carson Umphres and Campbell Coleman. J.J. Grove scored on Slade Mohr’s groundout. Jace Schartz singled home Herrman for a 6-2 lead.

Umphres singled in Koehn Ribordy in the third inning. Lane French scored on an Umphres double in the sixth inning.

Wichita’s Ben Blasi’s double scored Cal Purvis and Hudson Halstead, but reliever Owen Kaiser retired the final two batters.

BOMBERS 3, OKC PURPOSE BASEBALL 2 – Hunter Herrman singled home J.J. Grove with the game-winning seventh-inning run as the Braves rallied past Oklahoma City Purpose Baseball 3-2. Owen Kaiser singled home Carson Umphres for a 2-2 tie. Kaiser singled in Lane French in the first inning.

Isaiah Sherer singled in Tripp Hazel for a 2-1 lead, but the Braves threw out Damian Moore at third base to end the fifth inning. Grady Lingle singled in Kolton Mullings for the first run.

WICHITA RAWLINGS (15) 12, BOMBERS 4 – Wichita Rawlings’ Carson Liles, Gatlin Tilson and Grey Sanders each drove in two runs.

Great Bend’s Ribordy doubled and homered and scored three runs.

GB Bombers 001 00 – 1 2 1

Wichita Rawlings 251 04 – 11 10 1

Umphres, Mohr (2), French (4) and Kaiser. Hambleton and Higgins. 3B–GB–Mohr.

GB Bombers 200 100 0 – 3 4 1

Colorado Victus 000 001 0 – 1 6 1

Ribordy and Kaiser. Brown, Cronin (6) and Bauer. W–Ribordy, 5-0. 2B–GB–French, Coleman.

GB Bombers (12)00 10 – 13 12 0

OKC Purpose Baseball 300 11 – 5 6 2

Dunham, Spangler and Mullings. Herrman, Kaiser (1) and Kaiser. W—Kaiser, 4-2. L—Dunham. 2B—GB—French; OKC—Mullings. 3B—OKC—Lingle.

3B—GB—GB—Umphres.

GB Bombers 001 000 14 – 6 11 2

Wichita Rawlings 001 001 02 – 4 7 3

Umphres, Ribordy (6) and Kaiser. Halstead, Short and Jones. W—Kaiser, 3-2. L—Short. 2B—GB—Umphres, Herrman.

GB Bombers 100 000 2 – 3 7 3

OKC Purpose Baseball 100 010 0 – 2 5 2

Reed, Lingle (6) and Mullings. Schartz, Mohr (4), Kaiser (7) and French. W—Kaiser, 3-2. L—Lingle. 3B—GB—GB—Umphres.

Wichita Rawlins 040 260 – 12 7 2

GB Bombers 201 010 – 4 7 0

Purvis, Hambleton (6) and Higgins. Coleman, French (4), Grove (6) and Kaiser. W—Purvis. L—Coleman, 0-3. 2B—GB—Ribordy; Purvis 2, Liles. HR-GB—Ribordy.

 POOL PLAY–Arkansas Patriots 2-0; Tulsa Rawlings 2-0; Great Bend Bombers 1-1; Arkansas Express 1-1; Wichita Rawlings 1-1; Kansas/Oklahoma Bombers 0-2 OKC Purpose Baseball 0-2 

FIRECRACKER BRACKET–1ST–Bombers vs. Wichita Rawlings; WINNERS BRACKET FINALS–Bombers 3, Colorado Victus 1; LOSERS BRACKET FINALS–Tulsa Rawlings 10, Colorado Victus 5; SEMIFINALS–Bombers 13, OKC Purpose Baseball 5; Colorado Victus 4, Tulsa Rawlings 3; FIRST ROUND–Bombers 6, Wichita Rawlings 4; OKC Purpose Baseball 9, Arkansas Patriots 5; Colorado Victus 7, Arkansas Tigers 4; Tulsa Rawlings 6, Kansas/Oklahoma Bombers 0; CONSOLATION–Wichita Rawlings 1, Arkansas Patriots 0; Kansas/Oklahoma Bombers 3, Arkansas Express 0; Kansas/Oklahoma Baseball 5, OKC Purpose Baseball 4; Wichita Rawlings 9, Tulsa Tigers 4; Wichita Rawlings 6, Kansas/Oklahoma Bombers 0