PRATT — The Great Bend Braves advanced their record to 6-2 after sweeping Pratt on the road on Tuesday.
The Braves, a 17-and-under American Legion baseball team, won both games in five innings, taking the first game 18-8 and winning the nightcap 15-7.
Mitch Johnson took the mound for the Braves in Game 1 and finished with a complete game. He allowed six hits and one walk with three strikeouts.
“He pitched well,” Braves head coach Randy Beck said. “He was in the zone. I think he had two walks.
“Anytime you are in the zone or around the zone, you make the other team swing. We were fielding the ball well.”
He wasn’t the only pitcher throwing well.
“Jonathon Allende pitched the second game for us,” Beck said. “He had quite a few Ks. It had to be close to 10.
“He got stronger as he went along. His curve ball came around as we got into the game.”
Allende also pitched a complete game, giving up six hits and five walks. He finished the five-inning outing with eight strikeouts.
The Braves continued their success at the plate, scoring nine runs in the fifth inning of the first game and eight runs in the third inning of the second game.
“We hit the ball well as a team,” Beck said. “They threw a lefty at us and it took a couple of innings for us to get to him.”
In the first game, Dakota Conaway, Allende and Lance Ward each had three hits. Johnson had an inside-the-park home run, and the Braves finished the game with 16 hits.
Dillon Reiser had three hits, including a double and a pair of singles, in the second game for the Braves. Derrick Simmons had three singles leading the Braves to 15 hits.
Braves split twinbill
with Hoisington
On Monday, the Braves split a doubleheader with Hoisington.
Ward got the win for the Braves in a 9-1 victory after five innings. Reiser recorded the loss in the second game.
Hoisington won the second game 18-4.
Beck said that he scheduled the games with Hoisington to make up for missing a pair of doubleheaders that left the Braves without a game for more than a week.
“I wanted to get a couple more games in before the (Braves) Classic,” Beck said. “You can simulate a lot of things in practice, but you can’t simulate real game experience.
“I was a little concerned because of the layoff, especially for our pitching.”
Braves to compete
in classic this weekend
Beginning Saturday, the Braves will compete in the Braves Baseball Classic.
Great Bend will open the tournament with a game against Hutchinson at 9 a.m.
The Braves will also play Dodge City at 1:30 p.m. and close out Saturday’s play with a game against Ness City at 5:30.
“We haven’t played any of (the teams at the classic),” Beck said. “It is going to be a good tournament.
“We’ll just have to play good baseball. As long as we throw strikes and play good defense, we’ll be fine.”
The four teams will play each other and will be seeded after the final game between Hutchinson and Dodge City on Sunday, which begins at 10 a.m.
Elimination games will begin at noon on Sunday with the No. 4 seed challenging the No. 1 seed.
The championship game is slated to begin at 4 p.m.
BRAVES BASEBALL CLASSIC
at Al Burns Memorial Field
Saturday
Great Bend vs. Hutchinson, 9 a.m.
Dodge City vs. Ness City, 11 a.m.
Great Bend vs. Dodge City, 1:30 p.m.
Ness City vs. Hutchinson, 3:30 p.m.
Great Bend vs. Ness City, 5:30 p.m.
Sunday
Hutchinson vs. Dodge City, 10 a.m.
No. 1 seed vs. No. 4 seed, Noon
No. 2 seed vs. No. 3 seed, 2 p.m.
Championship game, 4 p.m.
