BY JIM MISUNAS
Great Bend’s doubleheader with perennial 5A powerhouse Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel had the earmarks of postseason baseball.
Both games were decided in the final inning with the Panthers (6-1) rallying for an 8-7 victory on Slade Mohr’s game-winner and the Crusaders (6-3) outlasting Great Bend 2-0 in Tuesday’s nightcap at the Great Bend Sports Complex.
PANTHERS 8, KAPAUN 7 (G1, 9 innings) – Great Bend trailed 7-3 after 51/2 innings when the Panthers rallied for three sixth-inning runs for a 7-7 tie. Mohr’s single scored Ian Premer with the game-winning run. Premer batted 5 for 6 in the twin bill to raise his average to .565 (13 for 23).
Trenton Kern doubled home J.J. Grove, Carson Umphres and Premer for a 3-0 lead. Daxton Minton scored on Koehn Ribordy’s single for a 4-0 lead.
Umphres (2-0, 2.02 ERA) pitched 31/3 innings with 60 pitches.
The Crusaders scored the next seven runs. Jackson Daniel tripled home a run and scored on a sacrifice fly. Hudson Cahill tripled home a run and the Crusaders scored on an error for a 4-4-4 tie. Peyton Bosch and Trip Wright had RBIs in a 3-run sixth inning keyed by two walks, two hit batters and an error for a 7-4 lead.
Grove singled home Hunter Herrman, Minton scored on a groundout and Ribordy scored on Premer’s single for a 7-7 tie.
Third baseman Kern saved the day by doubling up Henry Christman on Dylan Burr’s seventh-inning bunt and throwing out Charlie Christman at home in the ninth inning.
KAPAUN 2, PANTHERS 0 (G2) – Kapaun pitcher Charlie Barrier (3-1) pitched seven shutout innings with three strikeouts. Panther pitcher Owen Kaiser matched Barrier with six shutout innings.
A seventh-inning walk and two passed balls cost the Panthers. Charlie Christman scored on Burr’s single. Noah Schreck scored on a passed ball for a 2-0 lead.
Premer and Ribordy each had two hits, but the Panthers batted zero for 7 with runners in scoring position.
Wichita Kapaun 002 023 000 – 7 8 0
Great Bend 310 003 001 – 8 14 2
Gosch, Daniel (6) and Schreck. Umphres, Herrman (4), Minton (5), Ribordy (9) and Kaiser. W—Ribordy, 1-0. L—Daniel, 1-2. 2B—GB—Kern. 3B—K—Cahill, Daniel, Gosch.
Wichita Kapaun 000 000 2 – 2 4 0
Great Bend 000 000 0 – 0 6 1
Barrier and Schreck. Kaiser and Jones. W—Barrier, 3-1. L—Kaiser, 1-1. 2B—GB—Kaiser.
