GARDEN CITY — Great Bend's baseball team will roll into postseason as the No. 1 West seed following a 15-4 and 17-4 Western Athletic Conference sweep over Garden City Friday. The Panthers (21-5, 10-2 WAC) outscored the Buffaloes 45-8 in three wins.
Great Bend plays Arkansas City (7-19) at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Great Bend Sports Complex. Emporia (15-10) meets Wichita Kapaun Mt. Carmel (15-11) at 2 p.m.
Hunter Herrman (.238) raised his average 62 points with a 4-for-8 day. Owen Kaiser (.223) batted 6-for-7 and improved 35 batting points during the twin bill. Great Bend scored runs in all 10 innings.
PANTHERS 15, BUFFALOES 4 (G1) — Kaiser started on fire with a homer, two singles and four runs batted home to end a season-long struggle with an impressive outing. The Panthers busted the game open with a 9-run second inning.
Slade Mohr delivered a pair of singles and three runs batted home. Carson Umphres (.405), Ian Premer (.433), Trenton Kern (.286) and Jace Schartz all drove in runs.
Southpaw starter Koehn Ribordy (1-0) struggled early with five early walks and four earned runs, but settled in with nine strikeouts. Slade Mohr recorded four outs.
PANTHERS 17, BUFFALOES 4 (G2) — It was Ribordy's turn to shine with a double, triple and four runs batted home.
Umphres ripped a 3-run triple in the Panthers' 8-run third inning. Trenton Kern drove in two runs with two hits. Daxton Minton (.431), Premer, Kaiser and Mohr each drove in one run.
Kaiser yielded three first-inning runs and threw 21/3 innings. Minton (7-1, 2.65 ERA) threw 22/3 shutout innings with a trio of strikeouts.
Great Bend 191 13 — 15 13 1
Garden City 400 00 — 4 3 1
Ribordy, Mohr (4) and Kaiser. Metzen, Steinmetz (2) and Plankenhorn. W—Ribordy, 1-0. L—Metzen. 2B—GB—Kaiser 2, Mohr; GC—Strecker. 3B—GB—Minton. HR—GB—Kaiser.
Great Bend 218 33 — 17 14 1
Garden City 301 00 — 4 7 2
Kaiser, Minton (3) and Kern. Plankenhorn, Roth (2), Carabajal (3), Strecker (5) and Metzen. W—Minton, 7-1. 2B—GB—Wondra, Ribordy; GC—Strecker. 3B—GB—Umphres, Ribordy; 3B—Rathburn.
PANTHER PITCHING—Umphres 7-2, 1.65 ERA; 14 ER-59 1/3 IP; 61 K/59 1/3 IP; Herrman 5-1, 1.85 ERA; 10 ER-37 2/3 IP; Minton 7-1, 2.65 ERA; 10 ER-29 IP; Kaiser 2-0, 2.52 ERA; Mohr 1-1, 3.50 ERA; Ribordy 1-0, 3.40 ERA; 10 ER-16 IP; Oelger 0-0, 0.00 ERA
PANTHER BATTING—Umphres .450, 36-80; 44 R, 34 RBI, 7-2B, 2-3B, 4-HR; Premer .438, 32-73; 31 R, 21 RBI, 7-2B, 3-3B; Minton .405, 32-79; 28 R, 23 RBI, 5-2B, 1-3B; Ribordy .402, 35-87; 21 R, 28 RBI, 3-2B, 2-3B; Wondra .303; 23-76; 18 RBI; 2-2B; Kern, .301; 25-83; 16 R, 26 RBI, 4-2B, 1-HR; Schartz .273, 6-22; 12 R, 3 RBI; Herrman .267, 12-45, 6 RBI; Kaiser .257, 18-70; 7 R, 2-2B, 1-HR, 15 RBI; Mohr .254, 17-67; 22 R, 16 RBI.
5A WEST REGIONALS
GREAT BEND (5-21)—Great Bend 21-5 vs. Arkansas City 7-19; Emporia 15-10 vs. Wichita Kapaun Mt. Carmel 15-11, 2 p.m.
WICHITA (5-21)—Wichita Carroll 20-6 vs. Goddard 8-16; Goddard Eisenhower 16-10 vs. Hutchinson High 15-11, 1 p.m.
TOPEKA (5-21)—Topeka Seaman 18-7 vs. Andover Central 11-15; Salina Central 17-9 vs. Valley Center 15-11, 2 p.m.
HAYS (5-21)—Hays High 16-8 vs. Salina South 14-12; Maize South 16-8 vs. Andover 15-11, 2 p.m.;
DNQ—Topeka West 4-18; DNQ—Newton 6-19
4A WEST REGIONALS
MCPHERSON (5-20)—McPherson 23-3 vs. Circle 9-17; Buhler 17-9 vs. Larned/La Crosse 15-9, 2 p.m.
PRATT (5-20)—Pratt 22-4 vs. Rose Hill 8-15; Concordia 15-7 vs. Abilene 14-10
MULVANE (5-20)—Mulvane 19-4 vs. Andale/Garden Plain 10-16; Wellington 18-8 vs. Clearwater 15-11
CLAY CENTER (5-20)—Clay Center 17-6 vs. Chapman 11-13; Hoisington/Central Plains 15-6 vs. Lyons/Sterling 13-10, 2 p.m.
DNQ—Ulysses 4-15; DNQ—Winfield 1-23; DNQ—Hugoton 0-22
2A HAYS—5-16—Oberlin (0-16) vs. Ell-Saline (0-18); Hays TMP (18-5) vs. Oberlin/Ell-Saline winner; Ellinwood (13-11) vs. Bennington (7-13); Salina Sacred Heart (17-7) vs. Belleville Republic County (2-20); Ellis (15-8) vs. Plainville (2-14); SEMIFINALS—5-22—Hays TMP/Oberlin/Ell-Saline winner vs. Ellinwood/Bennington winner; Salina Sacred Heart/Republic County winner vs. Ellis/Plainville winner
