BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
Great Bend Bat Cats reliever Grant Thompson was one out away from preserving a 3-2 lead against the Mulvane Patriots. The Bat Cats (3-3, 2-1 Sunflower) were poised for a three-game winning streak.
But Patriot Colby Deaville drilled a go-ahead two-run double and Hilton Brown followed with the game-deciding two-run homer off Grant Thompson for a 6-3 lead. Mulvane finished off a 7-4 Sunflower Collegiate League victory behind four pitchers. Mulvane's Colby Deaville hit a ninth-inning homer as the Patriots took advantage of a 30 mph southerly wind.
The teams finish their four-game series at Mulvane Friday.
“We’ve been playing pretty good baseball, but Thursday’s game got away from us," said Bat Cats coach Roger Ward. "That’s part of baseball. We want to go out win the series tomorrow.”
Mulvane starter Caleb Feekin and Bat Cat starter Joe Richter from Barton Community College were locked in a 2-2 tie through 51/2 innings.
Mulvane's Colby Standard scored on unearned run with Richter threw away Easton Parrish's fourth-inning sacrifice bunt. Gabe Calliani scored a fifth-inning run on Brett Hawkins' groundout for a 2-0 lead.
Bat Cat sparkplug Seth Kenagy singled home Chance Ragsdale and Alex Rodgers for a 2-2 tie after five innings. The Bat Cats missed a chance to blow the game open after Jake Baker singled, Tyler Henry was hit by a pitch and Ryan Thompson singled. Baker scored on Ragsdale's sacrifice fly. But Mulvane reliever Cade Phelps retired two of Great Bend's hottest hitters -- Rodgers and Kenagy to strand runners at third and second base.
Bat Cat reliever Grant Thompson recorded two outs by Standard singled and Parrish walked. Deaville's two-run double and Brown's two-run homer quickly made it 6-3.
Rodgers stole home on a double with Kenagy for a 6-4 score after eight innings. Deaville's homer handed Mulvane a 7-4 lead.
The game ended when Jake Baker grounded into a double play.
The Bat Cats started with a three-game series with Liberal to get all of their pitchers some work.
““It’s been hectic for two weeks since the season got going," Ward said. "I feel good about our pitchers going forward. There’s good talent and good teams in the league. But we feel we’ll be there in the long run. We have good baseball pieces.”
Ward said the toughest part has been dealing with constant 90-degree heat and swirling summer wind.
“The wind has been getting really old," Ward said. "It can beat you down with constant heat and wind. It feels like the dog days of summer.”
Mulvane 000 110 401 – 7 10 0
Bat Cats 000 021 010 – 4 9 1
Feekin, Drake (4), Cameron (5), Phelps (6) and Standard. Richter, Grant Thompson (7), Zerr (7) and Bloomer. W–Phelps. L–G. Thompson. 2B–BC–Rodgers; M–Deaville. HR–M–Brown, Deaville.
