OMAHA, Neb. — Welcome to Omaha!
Jesus Bujanda delivered the go-ahead two-run single to rally the Great Bend Chiefs past Omaha Creighton Prep (No. 2) 7-5 in Thursday’s round-robin baseball tournament. The Chiefs (11-3) trailed 3-1, but scored six runs in the seventh inning.
The Chiefs scored six runs on four walks, two hit batters and Bujanda’s single. Colin Hall and Joey Soupiset walked and Eduardo Bujanda reached on an error to load the bases. Calan Haberman and Alex Schremmer drew back-to-back walks against reliever Calen Stone for a 3-3 tie.
Bujanda greeted reliever Drew Hansen with a single that scored Haberman and Soupiset for a 5-3 lead. Jesus Bujanda scored on a throw and Schremmer scored on a passed ball for a 7-3 lead.
Reliever Brice Kaiser retired three consecutive batters to preserve the victory after the first two batters reached base against Jesus Bujanda.
Brice Kaiser’s sacrifice fly scored Haberman with a sixth-inning run off starter Logan Clark, who threw five innings of ho-hit baseball.
Creigton Prep led 3-1 after six innings. Dan Wellwood delivered a first-inning RBI single and a sixth-inning RBI double. Hansen’s single scored Drew Vosik. Grant Morrissey and Jon Schroeder drove home Carson Broz and Reid Stracke in the seventh inning. Kaiser retired Wellwood, Prep’s hottest hitter, for the final out.
The Chiefs play Creighton Prep No. 1 at 7 p.m. Friday. Creighton Prep No. 1 has won three consecutive Class A Nebraska state baseball titles.
GB Chiefs 000 001 6 — 7 3 3
C. Prep 100 002 2 — 5 9 2
Soupiset, Jesus Bujanda (4), Brice Kaiser, Clark, Stone (7), Hansen (7) and Wellwood. W—J. Bujanda. Sv—B. Kaiser. L—Stone. 2B—CP—Stracke, Wellwood.