By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Panther baseball sweeps Pratt Greenbacks
Carson Umphres pitches 2.jpg
Carson Umphres pitches against Hutch. - photo by Hugo Gonzalez

BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

Great Bend's home baseball opener delivered thunder, lightning and snow flurries in a wild mix of weather that started with 40-degree temperatures.

Great Bend's defense and pitching dominated the first game 1-0 and the Panthers' hitting delivered a 10-6 victory in Saturday's baseball sweep over Pratt. The Panthers (3-0) drop Pratt to 0-4.

PANTHERS 1, PRATT 0  (G1) – Ace Panther pitcher Carson Umphres (1-0) dominated with a nifty 88-pitch outing with six strikeouts. 

Umphres' locked down Pratt after the first two batters reached base in the second and third innings. Josiah Schmidt singled and Cresten Pore reached on a misplayed bunt. Umphres recorded a strikeout, fielder's choice and fly ball out.

Second baseman Hunter Herrman preserved a scoreless tie by throwing out Pratt's Noah Riley on an attempted double steal. Riley and Max Younie walked, but Umphres recorded a strikeout and fielder's choice to set up Herrman's peg to catcher Owen Kaiser. 

Koehn Ribordy doubled off Pratt pitcher Hayden Mies (0-1) to score Kaiser in the fifth inning. Ribordy was thrown out at third base.

PANTHERS 10, PRATT 6 (G2) – Kaiser stayed hot (4 for 7) with two RBIs and Slade Mohr also drove home two runs. Daxton Mintom, Umphres, Ribordy, Peyden Oelger and Ian Premer also drove in runs.

Premer's scored on a wild pitch after tripling home Umphres in the first inning. Minton singled home J.J Grove in the second frame. Premer scored on Mohr's third-inning hit.

Umphres, Mohr and Oelger delivered RBI fourth-inning singles for an 8-2 lead. Kaiser's fifth-inning single scored Grove and Umphres for a 10-3 lead.

Pratt's Chaz Teafatiller drove home two runs. Owen Schmidt, Barrett Bolen and Josiah Schmidt drove in runs.

Pratt 000 000 0 – 0 4 0 

Great Bend 000 010 x – 1 4 0

Mies, Craft (5) and Teafatiller. Umphres and Kaiser. W–Umphres 1-0. L–Mies. 2B–GB–Ribordy.

Pratt 020 012 1 – 6 5 0 

Great Bend 211 420 x – 10 11 0

Bolen, Schmidt (4), Craft (5), Pore (5) and Teafatiller. Kaiser, Ribordy (5) and Milsap. W–Kaiser, 1-0. L–Bolen. 2B–GB–Grove; P–Teafatiller. 3B–GB–Premer;