McPHERSON — The Great Bend Braves leave pool play of the Bob Hooper Classic at Grant Sports Complex with a 2-1 mark in Class A American Legion action.
The Braves defeated Hutchinson 12-1 in four innings on Friday night, but split two games on Saturday with a 14-7 loss against Buhler and a 13-5 win over El Dorado in five innings.
Great Bend challenges McPherson today at 10 a.m. in semifinal play.
“I think we’ve been playing very well,” Braves head coach Kyle LeRoy said. “Everybody came ready to play.”
Great Bend started its Saturday against Buhler, the same team that beat the Braves 10-2 in the championship game of the Pratt Wood Bat Tournament last Sunday.
Just like last week, the Braves took an early lead, scoring a run in the top of the first.
However, Buhler scored in four of the next five innings, including a seven-run fourth, to take control.
“I thought we played well the whole game,” LeRoy said. “We just had some things that didn’t go our way, and they capitalized on them like good teams do.”
Logan Zecha went 2-for-3 to lead the Braves, and Shade Wondra had a three-run single.
Jaxx Hillman had a pair of runs batted in during the game.

Saturday
Great Bend 13,
El Dorado 5 (5)
The Braves scored in all five innings against El Dorado and finished the game with 14 hits.
Wondra was 3-for-3 with three RBI.
Logan Zecha, Alex Deist and Matthew Zecha each tripled for the Braves.
“We came out and did what we had to do,” LeRoy said. “We took advantage of everything that went our way, which is what you’ve got to do to win. It was good to get one back after losing to Buhler.”
Tyler Nuss went all five innings, recording seven strikeouts and allowing three hits and five walks.

Friday
Great Bend 12,
Hutchinson 1 (4)
Great Bend led 2-0 after two innings.
After Hutchinson scored a run in the top of the third, the Braves turned it on for 10 in the bottom of the iningin
“That’s exactly what we want out of them,” LeRoy said. “When we get the pedal going, we want it to hit the floor.”
Nuss and Deist each went 2-for-3 and had two RBI apiece.
Matthew Zecha had three RBI.


                                                            — Kevin Price