By MIKE MARZOLF
Special to the Tribune
After a mid-season stretch that included 14 wins in 15 games, the Great Bend American Legion baseball team has hit a tough stretch.
Hopefully that stretched reached its peak with a 0-3 showing this past weekend at the Barton Invitational. Great Bend lost all three contests to drop to 24-14 and now have lost six of its last seven.
“I saw it coming,” Coach Roger Ward said. “We had been winning but I didn’t feel like we were hitting the ball like we should. That finally caught up to us. The encouraging thing is the pitching has been better and we are playing better defense.”
The Chiefs have one week to get things turned around before the AAA Zone tournament starting Sunday in Great Bend.
“The same thing happened a year ago at the same time,” Coach Ward said. “I am glad it happen before post season. We can use this week to get sharp again and go into zone ready to play.”
The weekend was a tough one hitting as Great Bend scored just three runs during its three games. Great Bend started with a 5-0 loss to the Next Level — an academy team from the Topeka/Kansas City area.
The Chiefs lost 8-2 to Russell to end pool play and lost in the consolation bracket to Pratt, 2-1.
“I’m not glad we are losing by any means but I’m glad it happened now,” Coach Ward said. “Maybe this gets us past it and gets us back to who we are starting Sunday in the zone.”
In the loss to Next Level, Great Bend produced four hits in the 5-0 loss. The Chiefs faced a sinker ball, side arm pitcher and struggled to adjust.
In the loss to Russell the Chiefs scored one in the top of the first then after getting the first out of the bottom of the inning, Russell scored five straight runs to take a 5-1 lead.
Great Bend trailed 5-2 and had runners on second and third in the fifth. But a line drive by Brady Michel was run down and the inning came to an end and so did the Great Bend rally.
In the final game, the Chiefs got a complete game from Brayden Smith but came up short by a 2-1 mark. Smith allowed a run in the first then shut out Pratt the next five innings.
Meanwhile Great Bend tied it in the third and had a chance to take the lead in the sixth. The Chiefs had runners on second and third with one out but a failed bunt ended up in pop up followed by a fly out to end the inning.
Pratt scored an unearned run in the bottom of the inning, reaching on an error, stealing second and third then scoring on a single to walk off the win.
Now the focus turns to the postseason. The zone tournament will start Sunday at the Great Bend Sports Complex and will include Garden City (26-2), McPherson (18-5), Buhler (15-14) and the host Chiefs. Garden City will play Buhler and Great Bend will play McPherson in opening games Sunday.
Garden City is assured of a state berth since Garden City is the site of the Class AAA State Tournament July 27-31. Garden City and the next highest finisher qualify for the state tournament.
“We will take two days off and not touch a baseball,” Coach Ward said. “Starting Wednesday we will have workouts through Saturday to get ready for zone.”
BARTON COUNTY INVITE
LAWSON-BIGGS FIELD
GREAT BEND SPORTS COMPLEX
CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET
Wichita Elite Jones 3, Larned 2; Hays 7, Russell 3; Semifinals—Next Level 18, Wichita Elite Jones 10; Wichita Elite Lienhard 9, Hays 8; Championship—Wichita Elite Lienhard 7, Next Level 6
CONSOLATION
Pratt 2, Great Bend 1; Pratt 10, Dodge City 1
POOL PLAY
Next Level 6, Dodge City 5; Next Level 5, Great Bend 0; Next Level 13, Russell 0
Elite Lienhard 12, Larned 2; Elite Lienhard 9, Pratt 0; Elite Lienhard 7, Hays 6
Elite Jones 8, Larned 4; Elite Jones 1, Hays 0; Elite Jones def. Dodge City
Hays 7, Pratt 3; Larned 7, Dodge City 4; Russell 8, Great Bend 2; Russell 6, Pratt 1
