BY JIM MISUNAS
DODGE CITY – Great Bend ace righthanded pitcher Chayse Gruber was spectacular. Gavin Haberman delivered the big hit with a 3-run triple that helped clinch a share of the Western Athletic Conference baseball championship.
The Panthers powered past the Dodge City Red Demons 7-2 Friday to clinch a share of the WAC baseball title with Hays High. Great Bend (11-3, 6-2 WAC) has swept five consecutive games.
Great Bend baseball coach Randy Beck checked the first goal off the Panthers’ list – WAC champions.
Gruber struck out Dawson Taylor to close out an 8-strikeout, 4-hit, 97-pitch outing. Gruber (5-1) has struck out 36 batters in 35 innings. He's yielded five earned runs for a 1.00 earned run average.
Haberman’s wind-blown triple scored Sage Koelsch, Paco Hernandez and Gruber to finish off a 4-run sixth inning for a 7-2 lead. The Panthers drew four walks and Koelsch was hit by a pitch. Jade Poe scored on Gruber’s walk.
Dodge City’s Taylor reached on an error and scored on a third inning error for a 1-0 lead. Tyler Stuhlsatz scored on Poe's fourth-inning groundout. Hernandez and Gruber sparked a 2-run fifth inning on singles. Hernandez scored on Haberman's groundout. Gruber scored on an error for a 3-1 lead.
Chayston Keck singled home Tucker Smith after a sixth-inning triple for Dodge City (6-8, 2-4 WAC).
The Panthers’ terrific trio of Hernandez (28-51, .560), Gruber (24-44, .545) and Koelsch (24-48, .500) continue to thrive at the plate with 2-hit performances.
Great Bend 000 124 0 – 7 10 1
Dodge City 001 001 0 – 2 4 1
Gruber and Poe. Taylor, Keck (4), Sowers (6) and Riekenberg. W—Gruber, 5-1. L—Keck. 3B—GB—Haberman; DC—Smith.
WAC BASEBALL
Great Bend 6-2 11-3
Hays High 6-2 9-5
Garden City 3-5 7-8
Dodge City 2-4 6-8
Liberal 1-5 8-8
4-25—Liberal 6-0, 13-3 Wichita South
4-26—Great Bend 7-3, 15-0 Hays-TMP; *Dodge City 7, Garden City 3
4-28—Hays 4, Bonner Springs 2; Hays 12, Bonner Springs 2
4-29—*Great Bend 7, Dodge City 2; Blue Valley West 4, Hays 3
GREAT BEND (6-2, 11-3)—W Junction City 11-0; L McPherson 2-8; WW Hutchinson 7-6, 11-2; WW *Liberal 7-4, 10-1; L *Hays 6-16; WL *Garden City 5-4, 3-4; W *Dodge City 4-3; W *Hays High 11-2; WW Hays-TMP 7-3, 15-0; W *Dodge City 7-2; 5-5—at Hays; 5-6—Hays Tournament; 5-7—Hays Tournament; 5-13—at Goddard Eisenhower
HAYS HIGH (6-2, 9-5)—WW *Liberal 12-2, 10-0; WL Washburn Rural 14-4, 18-22; WL *Garden City 15-3, 10-16; W *Great Bend 16-6; WW *Dodge City 8-2, 8-2; L *Great Bend 2-11; L DeSoto 1-2; W Bonner Springs 4-2; W Basehor-Linwood 14-4; L Blue Valley West 3-4; 5-5—Hays Tournament (Great Bend); 5-10—Ulysses (2)
GARDEN CITY (3-5, 7-8)—W Newton 5-4; L Circle 1-2; L Augusta 3-6; W *Liberal 9-8; WW Goodland 14-3, 11-1; L *Dodge City 2-8; WL *Hays High 16-10, 3-15; WL *Great Bend 4-3, 4-5; L *Liberal 5-14; W Scott City 9-6; L Dodge City 1-2; L Dodge City 3-7; 5-2—Lamar, Colo. (2); 5-6—at Emporia (2); 5-12—Hays-TMP (2)
DODGE CITY (2-4, 6-8)—LL Andover 5-7, 5-7; L Newton 6-8; L Valley Center 2-4; W *Garden City 8-2; WW Wichita South 15-5, 11-0; LL *Hays High 2-8, 2-8; L *Great Bend 3-4; W Scott City 16-6; W Garden City 2-1; W *Garden City 7-3; L *Great Bend 3-7; 5-3—at Campus, McPherson; 5-6-7—at Emporia, vs. Blue Valley West; 5-10—*at Liberal (1); 5-12—*Liberal (1)
LIBERAL (1-5, 8-8)—WW Hugoton 15-3, 15-3; L *Garden City 8-9; LL *Hays High 2-12, 0-10; LL *Great Bend 4-7, 1-10; W Guymon, Okla. 13-2; WW Woodward, Okla. 19-12, 16-7; W *Garden City 14-5; LLL Wichita Life 3-6, 1-11, 0-10; WW Wichita South 6-0, 13-3; 5-2—Elkhart (2); 5-10—*Dodge City (1); 5-12—*at Dodge City (1)
