BY JIM MISUNAS
JUNCTION CITY – Great Bend’s baseball team lost a 6-5 heartbreaker to Junction City and were shut out 10-0 by the McPherson Bullpups in Tuesday’s season-opening doubleheader.
JUNCTION CITY 6, PANTHERS 5 (9 innings) – Junction City scored the ninth-inning game-winner on a passed ball after a single, stolen base and a successful bunt.
Panther first baseman Stefan Spray preserved a 5-5 tie when he turned Ashton Sharpsteen’s line drive into a seventh-inning double play. Second baseman Miguel Martinez turned a fifth-inning double play.
The Panthers led 3-0 and 5-4 before the Bluejays scored a sixth-inning tying run. Sage Koelsch, Chayse Gruber, Jade Poe and Martinez each delivered two hits.
Poe’s first-inning single scored Koelsch and Brad Beck for a 2-0 lead. Gruber’s third-inning single scored Edwin Chavez for a 3-0 lead.
Ky’Rell Taylor scored on Russell Wilkey’s single. Wilkey scored on Andrew Khoury’s third-inning double. Khoury scored on Nate Rumbaugh’s bases-loaded walk. Bodie Tillman scored for a 4-3 lead.
Gruber scored on Haberman’s sixth-inning single and Poe scored on a groundout by Martinez for a 5-4 lead.
Jonathan Phillips doubled home Taylor for a 5-5 tie on an unearned run.
MCPHERSON 10, PANTHERS 0 – McPherson pitchers Hunter Alvord and Tytin Goebel combined for a no-hitter to shut down the Panthers.
Panther centerfielder Gavin Haberman and second baseman Miguel Martinez delivered the top defensive play when a fifth-inning throw to third baseman Chayse Gruber, who tagged out Jaron Brown.
Goebel singled home Aiden Hoover and Alvord to key a four-run first inning. Alvord singled home Jaytin Gumm, who reached on an error. Goebel scored on Jaron Brown’s ground out.
The Bullpups iced the game with a six-run third inning. Dylan Rinker singled home Goebel. Collin Pearson scored on a passed ball. Gumm’s triple scored Brown and Jaret Myers. Hoover doubled home Gunn. Hoover scored on Goebel’s single for a 10-0 lead.
Great Bend 201 002 000 – 5 11 2
Junction City 002 021 001 – 6 11 3
Gruber, Chavez (6), Spray (9) and Beck. Phillips, Vernando (7), Wilkey (9) and. W—Vernando. L—Chavez. 2B—GB—Gruber; JC—Phillips, Khoury. 3B—JC--Khoury
McPherson 406 00 – 10 11 0
Great Bend 000 00 – 0 0 1
Alvord, Goebel (4) and Miller. Holden, Koelsch (4) and Beck. W--Alvord. L—Holden, 0-1. 2B—M—Hoover
WAC BASEBALL
Garden City 1-0 3-0
Dodge City 0-0 1-1
Hays High 0-0 0-0
Great Bend 0-0 0-2
Liberal 0-1 2-1
GARDEN CITY (3-0)—WW Wichita Heights 19-0, 14-7; W *Liberal 7-4; 4-1—Goodland; 4-6—*Dodge City (1); 4-9—*Hays High; 4-16—*Great Bend; 4-20—*Liberal (1); 4-27—*at Dodge City (1); 5-3—at Lamar, Colo; 5-11—at Hays-TMP
LIBERAL (2-1)—WW Hugoton 17-7, 10-6; L *Garden City 4-7; 4-6—at Guymon, Okla.; 4-9—*at Great Bend; 4-13—*Dodge City (1); 4-15—Woodward, Okla.; 4-20—*at Garden City (1); 4-22—at Guthrie, Okla. Tournament; 4-30—*at Hays High; 5-11—*at Dodge City (1)
DODGE CITY (1-1)—WL Andover 8-0, 1-8; 4-1—at Newton/Valley Center; 4-6—*at Garden City (1); 4-9—Wichita South; 4-13—*at Liberal (1); 4-16—*at Hays High; 4-20—*Great Bend; 4-23—Wichita Heights; 4-27—*Garden City (1); 4-30—*Great Bend; 5-4—at McPherson/Campus; 5-7/8—at Emporia Tournament; 5-11—*Liberal
HAYS HIGH (0-0)—4-6—Washburn Rural; 4-9—*at Garden City; 4-13—*at Great Bend (1); 4-16—*Dodge City; 4-22—*Great Bend (1); 4-24—at Olathe Heritage; 4-30—*Liberal; 5-6/8—Hays Western Diamond; 5-11—at Ulysses
GREAT BEND (0-2)—L Junction City 6-7; L McPherson 0-10; 4-6—Hutchinson; 4-9—*at Liberal; 4-13—*Hays (1); 4-16—*at Garden City; 4-20—*at Dodge City (1); 4-22—*at Hays (1); 4-27—Hays-TMP; 4-30—*Dodge City (1); 5-6/8—at Hays Western Diamond; 5-14—Goddard Eisenhower
