Great Bend Braves struggle at Zone
BY JIM MISUNAS
EL DORADO – The Great Bend Braves will limp into the Class A (17 and under) American Legion state tournament after finishing 1-2 at the El Dorado Zone 5 A Zone baseball tournament. Newton routed the Braves 14-1 in Thursday’s finale.
Zone champion Clay Center (22-7), Newton (19-11) and the Braves (9-9-1) advance to the A State Legion Tournament July 27-31 at the Great Bend Sports Complex.
NEWTON 14, BRAVES 1 (G6) – Newton rolled to a dominating victory by capping the rout with an 8-run fourth inning. Newton scored two runs in the first inning and four times in the third inning.
Ryan Ruggiero, Parker Schultz, Cooper Perkins and Cody Jay all drove home two runs. Michael Seirer and Owen Meyers added RBIs.
Braves pitchers Collin Saffa, J.J. Grove and Trey Milsap were roughed up for 14 runs on nine hits.
The first four Braves reached base, but they managed one run. Wrikin Scobee doubled home Grove. Carson Umphres singled, but was thrown out stealing. Collin Saffa and Peyton Oelger were retired to end the threat.
BRAVES 6, EL DORADO 5 (G5) — Trey Milsap singled home Collin Saffa with the game-winning run for a seventh-inning victory. Pitcher Saffa (1-1) retired Preston Johnson to strand the tying runner on base. The Braves survived despite yielding five walks, committing two errors and seeing a trio of baserunners thrown out.
Carson Umphres and Saffa delivered first-inning RBIs, but Wrikin Scobee and Saffa were thrown out on the bases. Milsap scored on J.J. Grove's sacrifice fly and Scobee and Owen Kaiser delivered RBI hits in the fourth inning.
El Dorado (9-20-1) scored three runs on errors and a fourth on a double play groundball started by shortstop J.J. Grove. Nick Ahles scored on Abe Pena's sixth-inning groundout.
The Braves committed four errors and misplayed a bunt that led to four unearned runs.
CLAY CENTER 10, BRAVES 2 – Great Bend roared to a 2-0 start before collapsing in a 10-2 loss to Clay Center Wednesday
Great Bend enjoyed a promising start with a 2-run first inning. Carson Umphres singled home Wrikin Scobee, who doubled. Umphres scored on Campbell Coleman's single.
Everything unraveled after Clay Center scored three second-inning runs. Owen Craig delivered an RBI single. Craig scored on a misplayed bunt. Collen Tadtman scored on a groundout. Mark Hoffman hit an RBI double and Craig ripped a 2-run triple. Craig again scored on an error for a 7-2 lead after 21/2 innings. Tucker Jackson drilled an RBI double and Carter Long and Jackson scored on productive outs.
The Braves' bats were silent after the first inning. Trey Milsap singled for the Braves' lone baserunner in their final 14 at-bats.
The Overbrook Bombers (19-2), Topeka Kansas Senators (28-13), Pittsburg (13-12), Iola and Marysville have qualified for the A State Tournament July 27-31 at the Great Bend Sports Complex.
Newton 204 8 – 14 9 0
Great Bend 100 0 – 1 4 0
Bradshaw, Mueller (4) and Ruggiero. W—Bradshaw. L—Saffa, 0-4. 2B—GB—Scobee; N—Meyers, Perkins , Ruggiero. 3B—N—Jay.
Great Bend 200 300 1 — 6 8 2
El Dorado 101 003 0 — 5 8 2
Scobee and Lesh, Green (3) and Perkins. Scobee, Saffa (6) and Kaiser. W—Saffa, 1-1. L—Lesh. 2B—GB—Scobee, Saffa.
Clay Center 034 30 — 10 6 1
Great Bend 200 00 — 2 4 4
Hammond and Tadtman. Poe, Kaiser (4) and Jones. W—Hammond, 4-2. L—Poe, 1-2. 2B—GB—Scobee; CC—Jackson 2. 3B—CC—Craig.
BRAVES LEGION SCHEDULE (9-9-1)—WL Dodge City 3-2, 2-8; WW Larned 5-0, 6-4; WL Hays 5-4, 2-8; TIE—Dodge City, 5-5; L Dodge City 1-3; WW—Salina Eagles, 11-9, 13-3; LL—Salina Eagles, 5-8, 4-9; WL—W Hays Hammers 2-0; L Hays Hammers 4-8; W Larned, 5-0; L Larned 4-10; A Zone (L Clay Center 2-10; W El Dorado 6-5; L Newton 1-14); 7-27-31—A State Tournament, Great Bend
BRAVES LEGION ROSTER—1 Jace Schartz, LF; 2 Peyden Oelger; 3 Collin Saffa, C/LF/RF; 3 Wriken Scobee, 1B; 5 Hunter Herrman, P/SS/3B/LF; 9 Slade Mohr, 1B/2B; 13 Owen Kaiser, C/1B/3B; 16 Trey Milsap, C/2B; 19 Lane French, C/2B/CF; 22 Carson Umphres, CF; 27 J.J. Grove, P/3B/2B/SS; 44 Campbell Coleman, P/C/RF/3B; Carson Poe, P/2B/LF/1B; Eli Soupiset, RF
A STATE, GREAT BEND SPORTS COMPLEX
POOL A—Overbrook Bombers 19-2, Newton 19-11, Pittsburg, Iola
POOL B—Topeka Senators 28-13, Clay Center 22-7, Great Bend 9-9-1, Marysville
JULY 27—Pittsburg vs. Newton, 10 a.m.; Overbrook vs. Iola, 12:30; Clay Center vs. Marysville, 5:30; Topeka vs. Great Bend, 8:30
JULY 28—Clay Center vs. Topeka, 10 a.m.; Great Bend vs. Marysville, 12:30; Overbrook vs. Pittsburg, 6 p.m.; Newton vs. Iola, 8
JULY 29—Overbrook vs. Newton, 10 a.m.; Topeka vs. Marysville, 12:30; Clay Center vs. Great Bend, 6; Pittsburg vs. Iola, 8
JULY 30—Pool A winner vs. Pool B runner-up, 9 a.m.; Pool B winner vs. Pool A runner-up, 11:30; CHAMPIONSHIP—2 p.m.
A ZONES
EL DORADO (3 state qualifiers)—7-20—Clay Center 10, Great Bend 2; Clay Center 9, Newton 6; Newton 11, El Dorado 6; 7-21—Clay Center 18, El Dorado 2; Great Bend 6, El Dorado, 5; Newton 14, Great Bend 1; STATE QUALIFIERS—Clay Center 22-7, Newton 19-11, Great Bend 9-9-1
IOLA (2 state qualifiers)—Pittsburg 9, Chanute 5; Pittsburg 14, Garnett 6; Iola 8, Garnett 1; Iola 5, Garnett 3; STATE QUALIFIERS—Pittsburg, Iola
TOPEKA (3 state qualifiers)—Seneca 13, Ottawa 12; Kansas Senators 13, Marysville 3; Overbook Bombers 9, Seneca 1; Bombers 2, Topeka Kansas Senators 0; Marysville 17, Ottawa 2; Kansas Senators 10, Marysville 1; STATE QUALIFIERS—Overbrook Bombers 19-2; Kansas Senators 28-13; Marysville
