BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

Great Bend pitcher Townshend Kurth rode to the rescue with a five-inning start to spark the Panthers past Junction City 4-2 for a split of Tuesday's baseball doubleheader. Great Bend (3-3) travels to Liberal Friday to open Western Athletic Conference play.

GREAT BEND 4, JUNCTION CITY 2 (G2) — Kurth struck out two batters and yielded five hits in a solid 79-pitch outing. Crafty reliever Alex Schremmer worked the final two innings to earn a valuable save. The Panthers stole six bases with Schremmer stealing three bases.

Great Bend's Colin Hall scored on Riley Smith's fly ball after reaching on a third-inning error. Smith scored on Chance Perry's double for a 2-0 lead.

Schremmer reached on a dropped third strike and scored on Jesus Bujanda's fourth-inning double. Bujanda scored on a wild pitch for a 4-0 lead after four innings.

Junction City's Russell Wilkey scored on a groundout and Andrew Khoury's single scored JoJo Nieves in a two-run sixth inning. Schremmer relieved the bases loaded and recorded the final three outs.

JUNCTION CITY 10, GREAT BEND 0 (G1) — Great Bend touched Junction City ace pitcher Thane McDaniel for three hits, but the University of Kansas baseball recruit was up to the challenge. McDaniel preserved a 0.00 earned run average with three shutout innings through 14 spring innings.

McDaniel struck out five batters and stranded four baserunners. Panthers Eddie Bujanda, Colin Hall and Townshend Kurth each singled and Kurth also reached on an error. But McDaniel used his 80-mph plus fastball to strand four baserunners.

Junction City’s Bodie Tillman drove home four runs and McDaniel drove home three runs.

McDaniel’s single scored Russell Wilkey and JoJo Nieves in the first inning. Tillman singled home Jaden Kell and McDaniel singled home Nieves for a 4-0 lead after two frames off starter Jesus Bujanda. Nieves singled in Jaden Kell and Tillman singled home Nieves for a 6-0 lead.

Tillman and Andrew Khoury delivered two-run singles in a four run fifth inning off reliever Chance Perry.  The Panthers contributed four errors and seven baserunners on walks and hit batters.  

Junction City 222 04 — 10 10 1

Great Bend 000 00 — 0 4 4 

   McDaniel, Jordon Kell (4) and Pere. Jesus Bujanda, Perry (3) and Hall. W—McDaniel, 3-0. L—Jesus Bujanda. 

Junction City 000 002 0 — 2 6 2

Great Bend 002 200 x — 4 5 1

Babcock, Laughlin (5) and Sharpsteen. Kurth, Schremmer (6) and E. Bujanda. W—Kurth, 1-0. L—Babcock. 2B—GB—Eddie Bujanda, Jesus Bujanda, Perry.