Great Bend Braves American Legion baseball coach Konner Ireland debuted with a 22-12 and 17-2 sweep of Cunningham Wednesday at Al Burns Field. The Braves play Lawrence Friday to start the three-day Ottawa Tournament.
BRAVES 22, CUNNINGHAM 12 (G1) — Layton Holden drove in four runs with three singles to spark the Braves in the opener. Jake Kennedy and Holden each collected three hits.
Braves Kennedy, Caden Bieker and Christian Zahnter delivered first-inning RBIs for a 4-0 lead.
Cunningham scored seven runs in the second inning for a 7-4 lead. Keegan Haumont and Nathan Lohrke delivered RBIs and three runs scored on errors.
Zahnter and Holden each drove home two runs in a 13-run second inning. Brody Feist, Will Linenberger, Kyler Feist, Miguel Martinez and Kennedy followed with RBI singles. Zahnter and Dalton Staab forced home runs for a 17-7 lead.
Holden and Linenberger added RBIs in a four-run third inning. Holden’s RBI single scored Martinez with the game-clinching base hit for a 10-run victory.
Kennedy earned the win with two innings, striking out four.
BRAVES 17, CUNNINGHAM 2 (G2) – Christian Zahnter drove home four runs and scored three runs. Trevor DeLong drove home three runs. Jacob Hinton doubled and drove in two runs.
Zahnter drove in two runs and DeLong drove home a run in a six-run first inning. DeLong, Jacob Hinton and Zahnter each drove home two runs in a 10-run second inning. Kennedy added an RBI single. Martinez scored the game-clinching run on a wild pitch for a 17-2 victory.
Braves pitcher Caden Bieker threw a one-hitter through three innings. Ethan Hall scored both Cunningham runs on errors.
Cunningham 071 4 — 12 9 1
GB Braves 4 (13) 4 1 — 22 15 6
Lohrke, Camre Haumont (2) and Brady. Brody Feist, Kennedy (2), Zahnter (4) and Hinton. W—Kennedy. L—Lohrke. 2B—GB—Kennedy; C—Keegan Haumont, Camre Haumont. 3B—GB—Kennedy.
Cunningham 101 — 2 1 4
GB Braves 6 (10) 1 — 17 9 2
Justsu, Hall (2), Trevor (2) and Keegan Haumont. Bieker and Marrtinez. W—Bieker, 1-0. L—Justus. 2B—GB—Hinton, Zahnter.
The Braves finished 31-18 and won the Buhler A Zone tournament with wins over Cunningham 36-0, Pratt 17-16 and McPherson 11-9. The Class A state runner-up at Hays defeated the Salina Hawks 17-4, Andover Trojans 6-3, Olathe Royals 5-0, Andover Jaquars 9-1 and Emporia 3-2, but lost 11-1 to the Olathe Royals and 11-3 to champion Emporia. At the A regional at Fargo, S.D. the Braves lost 12-1 to Jefferson Mo. 17-7 to Sioux Falls and 12-2 to runner-up Fargo.
Colin Hall (7-4) and Townshend Kurth (6-3) were the leading pitchers. At the seven-game state tournament, Eddie Bujanda dropve home 13 runs. Kurth and Joey Soupiset each batted .400.
GREAT BEND LEGION BRAVES (17 and under)
2—Trevor DeLong
4—Jacob Hinton
8—Jayce Kohls
10—Christian Zahnter
11—Kyler Feist
12—Jacob Kennedy
15—Layton Holden
21—Caden Bieker
22—Matthew Nieman
28—Dalton Staab
35—William Linenberger
42—Miguel Martinez
98—Brody Feist
Coaches—Konner Ireland, Keaton Reneau, manager Chris Smith
2018 BRAVES LEGION SCHEDULE
WW—Cunningham 22-12 (Kennedy); 17-2 (Bieker)
6-1—Lawrence at Ottawa, 6
6-2—West Franklin, noon; Fike, Mo. 6, at Ottawa
6-3—at Ottawa Tournament, TBD
6-5—at Hays A, 5
6-7—at Kinsley Southwest Sox, 6
6-9—at Hays-TMP A, 5
6-12—Kinsley Southwest Sox, 6
6-13—Hays A, 5 (radio, 107.9)
6-15/16/17—Braves Classic (radio, 107.9)
6-19—Hays-TMP A, 5
6-20—at Dodge City A, 5
6-24—Russell A, 4
6-25—Inman, 6
6-28—at Larned, 6 (radio, 107.9)
6-30—Dodge City A, noon
7-1—at Cunningham A, 3
7-2—at Ellinwood AA, 6 (radio, 107.9)
7-6/14—AA Zone, TBA (radio, 107.9)
7-18/22—AA State, Leavenworth
