LARNED — The Great Bend Braves fell to 3-3 on the season after getting swept by Larned on Wednesday during a Class A American Legion Baseball doubleheader.
The Indians won 3-2 in the lidlifter, and 9-5 in the second game.
“They were close games, but we lost both of them,” Braves head coach Jordan Metro said. “They could have gone either way. We had good defense in the first game, but we weren’t there on offense.
“In the second game, our defense just had a bad couple of innings, but we were hitting well.”
Larned took a 1-0 lead after the first inning of the first game, but the Braves climbed back and held a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
The Indians rallied, scoring two runs and getting their only two hits of the game. Landon Erway, who was the starting pitcher, got a double and was driven in by a triple from Isiah Perez.
“We had the lead, but we let them get back into it,” Metro said. “They got a double and a triple in the seventh, and the kid who hit the triple scored on a wild pitch, which ended the game.”
Logan Zecha had Great Bend’s only three hits in the first game, all singles. In the second game, he didn’t get a hit, but he drew a pair of walks.
“He didn’t get a hit, but he still found a way to get on base,” Metro said. “He had three stolen bases and he scored twice. He made the most of his situation.
“I think he has at least 10 steals in the last three games alone.”
The Indians struck early in the second game, taking a 7-2 lead after two innings, and chasing Braves starting pitcher Lance Ward after one out in the first.
Tyler Nuss, who came in as a relief pitcher, finished the game and went 2-for-3 at the plate, but the Braves couldn’t recover.
Great Bend is back in action on Wednesday, traveling to McPherson. The doubleheader starts at 6 p.m.

                                                                 — Kevin Price

Class A American Legion Baseball

At Larned

Wednesday

Game 1
Larned 3, Great Bend 2
                      123  456  7         R    H    E
Great Bend    000  101  0  —    2    3    1
Larned           100  000  2  —    3    2    3
     Mitch Johnson, Lance Ward & Jack Westhoff; Landon Erway, Easton Palmer & Tyler Stelter. W — Palmer; L — Ward. 2B — Larned: Erway. 3B — Larned: Isiah Perez.

Game 2
Larned 9, Great Bend 5
                      123  456  7        R     H     E
Great Bend    021  200  0  —    5    7     0
Larned           430  002  x  —    9   12    2
     Ward, Tyler Nuss & Anson Hall; Perez, Trey Kraisinger, Palmer & Stelter. W — Perez; L — Ward. 2B — Larned: Brady Keith, Palmer.