First-year Great Bend baseball coach Mike Stettinger has learned there's no margin for error in the Western Athletic Conference. 

Reliever Daxton Minton (2.25 ERA, 91/3 innings) clinched the Panthers' first WAC victory by striking out Dodge City's Kyson Bogner and Jayden Tinoco for a hard-fought 3-2 victory Monday at the Great Bend Sports Complex. The tying baserunner Liam Torres was left on base after a walk.

Panther starter Rafael Chavez (2-1, 3.00 ERA) yielded one earned run in 32/3 innings before departing for left-hander Koehn Ribordy who pitched into the seventh inning.

Dodge City's pesky leadoff batter Ty Scheck doubled, stole second base and scored on a first-inning Carson Akers groundout for a 1-0 lead.

Chavez walked. Courtesy runner Christian Alcala stole second base and scored on Kale Kern's second-inning single for a 1-1 tie.

Panther Gavin Wondra scored on Minton's third-inning double. Minton scored on Jaxon Wondra's groundout for a 3-1 lead after Ribordy's double moved him to third base.

In the sixth inning, Dodge City's Reis Ochs walked, advanced to second on an error and scored on Jaxon Wondra's throwing error after he stole third base for a 3-2 score.

Great Bend (4-3, 1-2 WAC) has played two 1-run games and a 2-run game in the Western Athletic Conference. The Panthers have played five games decided in extra innings or by two runs or less.

The Panthers travel to Liberal Friday for a WAC doubleheader.

Dodge City 100 001 0 — 2 6 0

Great Bend 012 000 x — 3 6 1

Bogner and Ochs. Chavez, Ribordy (4), Minton and Jaxon Wondra. W—Chavez, 2-1. L—Bogner, 0-2. SV—Minton. 2B—GB—Minton, Ribordy; DC—Scheck, Ochs, Torres.