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Panthers split baseball twin bill
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Members of the 2021 GBMS volleyball team are front row—Lainey Smith, Jadynce Schroeder, Shatarah Newton, Henley Nairn, Rhett Nairn; second row—Hayley Suchy, Allie Gerhardt, Braelyn Turner, Kaitlyn Dreiling, Camryn Post, Alyvia Batchman, Miya Nachtigal, Kamryn Koelsch, Kya Behr, Meredith Mazouch, MacKenzie Lindberg, Jaselyn Werth, Heidi Jording, Braylee Carper, Kynli Shull; third row—Maddison Gaddis, Sophia Cale, Remmi Burkes, Katelyn Roddey, Ava Kaiser, Lydia Schaub, Alex Mayers, Araceli Aguilera, Zoey Mayberry, Sophia Elsen. back row—Naima Zapita, Gabriella Tomlin, Chalya Prenderegast, Kourtnee Leech, Olivia Boone, Madelynne Siefkes, Kimmy Hofflinger, Katherine Mazouch, Denver Ringo, Tatum Anderson, Alyssa McCulley, Kyra Lewis.

GARDEN CITY – Great Bend’s baseball doubleheader split with Garden City featured typical Western Athletic Conference drama.

Garden City’s opening 4-3 win and Great Bend’s 9-7 second-game victory both went down to the final out with the tying and go-ahead baserunners stranded on base.

Great Bend (5-6, 2-3 WAC) travels to Dodge City (6-4, 0-4 WAC) Tuesday for a single WAC game. Garden City (6-3, 2-3 WAC) plays Tuesday against Liberal (6-2, 2-1 WAC).

GARDEN CITY 4, GREAT BEND 3 (G1) — Garden City reliever Aaron Urrutia struck out Joey Soupiset on a 3-2 count to strand the tying and go-ahead runners to end the game. Koy Brack singled home Alex Schremmer following back-to-back hits by Schremmer and Jesus Bujanda with two out.

Garden City starter Cooper Thayer (2-1) permitted three runs as the Panthers delivered 11 base hits. The Panthers scored all three runs with two out.

The Buffaloes rapped out five consecutive first-inning singles for a quick 3-0 lead off pitcher Alex Schremmer. Auston Waetzig’s single scored Koby Acker. Easton Lager’s single scored Waetzig and Aaron Urrutia. Third baseman Joey Soupiset prevented a huge inning when he tagged out Thayer on a perfect relay from right fielder Townshend Kurth.

Great Bend’s Colin Hall tripled home Chance Perry in the second inning. Jesus Bujanda singled home Calan Haberman in the third inning for a 3-2 score.

The Panthers’ defense kept things close. Shortstop Schremmer started a fifth-inning double play. Right fielder Kurth made two game-saving catches and doubled up Elier Arreola in the sixth inning. Rawley Davidson scored on Kaiden Luna’s fly ball after reaching base on an error for a 4-2 lead.

GREAT BEND 9, GARDEN CITY 7 (G2) – Panther reliever Jesus Bujanda retired Kaiden Luna and Koby Acker to leave the bases loaded to preserve a wild victory. Starter Hall worked six hard-earned innings. Schremmer and Jesus Bujanda each drove home two runs to key the Panthers.

Garden City’s Urrutia singled home Waetzig in the first inning. Jesus Bujanda scored on an error after Soupiset’s second-inning single for a 1-1 tie. Jayden Escamilla’s sacrifice bunt scored Arreola in the second inning for a 2-1 lead.

Riley Smith scored a wild pitch, Schremmer singled home Haberman and Kurth and Brack’s single scored Schremmer for a 5-2 lead. Haberman singled home Hall and Jesus Bujanda singled home Haberman and Kurth for an 8-2 lead after 31/2 innings.

Garden City’s Rawley Davidson and Luna delivered RBIs in a two-run fourth inning. Chance Perry scored a valuable insurance fifth-inning run on a wild pitch for a 9-4 lead.

Urrutia and Davidson drove home fifth-inning runs to slice the lead to 9-6.

Great Bend 011 000 1 – 3 11 2

Garden City 300 001 x – 4 9 0

Schremmer, Jesus Bujanda (4) and Hall. Cooper, Urrutia (7) and Acker. W—Thayer, 2-1; L—Schremmer, 0-1. 3B—GB—Schremmer, Perry.

Great Bend 014 310 0 – 9 12 3

Garden City 110 220 1 – 7 11 1

Hall, Jesus Bujanda (6) and J. Bujanda, Hall (6). Arreola, Urrutia (3), Newberry (4) and Acker. W—Hall 2-2. L— Arreola 2-1. Sv—J. Bujanda. 2B—GB—GC—Waetzig, Luna.

WAC BASEBALL

Hays High 5-0 11-0

Liberal 2-1 6-2

Garden City 2-3 6-3

Great Bend 2-3 5-6

Dodge City 0-4 6-4

FRIDAY—Hays High 8-7, 17-3 Dodge City; Garden City 4, Great Bend 3; Great Bend 9, Garden City 7