BY JIM MISUNAS

jmisunas@gbtribune.com

Perfect baseball weather translated into a near-perfect doubleheader sweep by Great Bend over the Hays-Thomas More Prep Monarchs. The game was blessed by 75 temperatures, cloudy skies and light winds.

First-game starter Edwin Chavez threw a two-hit shutout in a 10-0 run-rule victory. Second-game starter Stefan Spray was equally effective with a two-hit shutout on in a 6-0 victory. Leadoff hitter Jade Poe was spectacular with six hits in eight at-bats.

“We put together two good baseball games tonight,” said Great Bend coach Randy Beck. “Our batters hit really well with baserunners in scoring position and we hit with two out tonight. It was our best night of the season. If we hit like we did tonight,’ weve got a good chance.”

Beck said practice time has focused on putting the baseball in play and delivering contact with two strikes or two out. The Panthers have lost a pair of one-run games and three games by three runs.

“It was nice to see our pitchers rewarded,” Beck said. “We’ve wasted some good pitching performances. Our pitcheer have kept us in games. What’s hurt us is we’ve left a ton of runners on base.” 

The Panthers (6-6) play Dodge City at home Friday before a rescheduled home game Monday against Hutchinson High.

PANTHERS 10, MONARCHS 0 (G1) — Chavez (1-0) was efficient with four strikeouts in a 73-pitch outing. The Monarchs (7-5) learned the hard way to not run on Panther catcher Brad Beck, who threw out Caden Morgan (first inning) and Jace Wentling (third inning).

Brad Beck’s double drove home Paco Hernandez and Sage Koelsch in the first inning. 

A five-run third-inning built a safe lead. Chayse Gruber’s opposite field triple scored Koelsch. Stefan Spray’s single scored Gruber. Spray and Chavez scored when a high pop fly was misplayed then thrown away. Poe’s single scored Matt Neiman for a 7-0 lead.

The Panthers iced the ballgame with a three-run fifth inning. Poe’s single scored pinch runner Gavin Haberman. Koelsch’s single scored Poe. Chayse Gruber’s double scored Hernandez with the game-winner.      

PANTHERS 6, MONARCHS 0 (G2) — Coach Beck looks like a genius after switching Poe to leadoff. Poe singled four times and scored a run. Pitcher Spray (2-2) was dominant with a 97-pitch outing that featured four strikeouts. 

The Panthers struck for four first-inning runs. Poe and Hernandez started with singles. Poe scored on an error. Hernandez scored on a wild pitch. Gruber and Beck scored on another error for a 4-0 lead.

Hernandez drove home Haberman on a fourth-inning sacrifice fly. Neiman scored the sixth run in the fifth inning on a double steal with Joseph Moeder. 

Hays-TMP 000 00 — 0 2 2

Great Bend 205 03 — 10 14 1

Morgan, Herrman (5) and Wentling. Chavez and Beck. W—Chavez, 1-0. L—Morgan, 3-2. 2B—GB—Beck. 3B—GB—Gruber

Hays-TMP 000 000 0 — 0 2 4

Great Bend 400 110 x — 6 7 4

Rack, Wentling (5) and Wentling, Morgan (5). Spray and Beck. W—Spray, 2-2. L—Rack, 1-3.