GARDEN CITY – Great Bend’s baseball team earned a split of Friday’s Western Athletic Conference doubleheader with a 6-3 victory over losing a hard-fought 3-2 opener. The Panthers (4-6, 3-4) play Hays-Thomas More Prep at home Tuesday.
GARDEN CITY 3, PANTHERS 2 (G1) – Garden City’s Caleb Metzen drove home Ricardo Almanza with a sacrifice fly after a fifth-inning triple for the game-winning run.
The Panthers missed a golden opportunity in the first inning. Jade Poe doubled and scored after pitcher Micah Perez threw the ball away on a perfect Paco Hernandez bunt. Chayse Gruber singled, but Hernandez remained at third when Brad Beck was thrown out on a potential squeeze bunt.
Poe, who delivered three hits from the leadoff spot, scored the second run on a fifth-inning error after a single and walks to Gruber and Beck.
The Panthers missed another scoring opportunity when Buffalo reliever Kaiden Luna picked off Edwin Chavez at second base and a relay to third baseman Jesse Balthazar picked off baserunner Gavin Haberman to end the inning.
Metzen’s first-inning single scored Perez for a 1-1 tie. Ricardo Almanza forced home Peyton Walters on a bases-loaded second-inning walk for a 2-1 lead.
The Buffs’ winning run came in the bottom of the sixth to break a 2-2 deadlock when Jesse Baltazar singled to center and then advanced to second base on an error by Great Bend’s pitcher. With one out, Baltazar then reached third on a wild pitch.
PANTHERS 6, GARDEN CITY 3 (G2) -- Great Bend’s Paco Hernandez delivered a solid pitching game starting with three strikeouts. Jade Poe finished a productive doubleheader by scoring two runs. Poe reached base five times in the twin bill.
The Panthers led 2-0 when Stefan Spray and Gavin Haberman drove home Hernandez and Sage Koelsch with first-inning singles. Koelsch singled home Poe after a second-inning double for a 3-0 lead.
Garden City’s Metzen scored a second-inning run on a pased ball. Mathew Moeder and Poe scored fourth-inning runs for a 5-1 lead. Mathew Moeder doubled home Haberman for a 6-1 lead after 41/2 innings.
Buffaloe Almanza doubled home Caleb Wiese to ignite a two-run fifth inning. Almanza scored on a passed ball for a 6-3 final.
Great Bend 100 010 0 – 2 6 2
Garden City 110 010 x – 3 5 3
Holden, Chavez (6) and Beck. Perez, Luna (4), Metzen (6) and Acker. W—Metzen. L—Holden, 1-3. 2B—GB—Poe, Chavez. 3B—GC–Almanza
Great Bend 210 210 0 – 6 5 2
Garden City 010 020 0 – 3 6 2
Hernandez, Chavez (5) and Beck. Walters, Salinas (6) and Acker. W—Hernandez, 1-0. L—Walters. 2B—GB—Poe, Mathew Moeder; GC—Almanza
WAC BASEBALL
Dodge City 4-1 9-3
Hays High 4-2 6-2
Garden City 3-3 7-3
Great Bend 3-4 4-6
Liberal 0-4 5-7
THURSDAY—*Hays 4, Great Bend 1; Choctaw, Okla. 21, Liberal 7
FRIDAY—*Garden City 3-3, Great Bend 2-6; Dodge City 8, Wichita Heights 4; Perkins, Okla. 10, Liberal 7
