BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

HAYS — Great Bend escaped Goddard High’s upset bid 5-4 Friday in the 34th Annual Diamond Baseball Classic.
Goddard High didn’t perform like a 2-13 baseball team. Lion starter Nate Bell and reliever Ramos shut down the Panthers’ hitters for six innings.
But the Panthers (10-4) walked off with a victory when Payton Mauler forced home pinch runner Koy Brack on a bases-loaded walk off reliever Kale Ramos. Logan Perry delivered a tying base hit that scored courtesy runner Konnor Ireland for a 4-4 tie.
Brady Michel was hit by a pitch to start the seventh, but was forced out on Jared Maneth’s groundball. Brayden Smith walked and Perry followed with a single up the middle that scored the speedy Ireland. Bryce Lytle was intentionally walked to load the bases. Ramos walked Mauler for his fifth free pass in two innings.
Perry earned the victory with two innings of relief work.       
Goddard scored four first-inning runs off Panther starter Brayden Smith. Ramos and Kyle Young singled and scored on A.J. Vang’s double for a 2-0 lead. Bodih North walked and Bell singled home North for a 3-0 lead. North scored on Owen Beason’s sacrifice fly.
The Panthers invested the next seven innings playing catchup that required 61/3 innings of patience. The Panthers drew eight walks and had three batters hit by pitches.
Mauler singled home courtesy runner Ireland in a three-run fourth inning. Jacob Murray singled home Smith, who singled after Maneth drew a walk. Jaxx Hillman was hit by a pitch, forcing Bryce Lytle home for a 4-3 score.
GREAT BEND 5, GODDARD 4
GODDARD              AB  R  H BI  
Kale Ramos c-p       4   1  3  0
Logan Dryden 2b      1   0  0  0
Kyle Young cf        4   1  2  0
A.J. Vang 1b         3   1  2  2
Bodhi North 3b       3   1  0  0
Nate Bell p          4   0  1  1
Owen Beason rf       1   0  0  1
Ethan Carr 3b        2   0  0  0
Garrett Morrow ph    1   0  0  0
Isaiah Cowens ss     3   0  0  0
TOTALS              26   4  8  4
GREAT BEND           AB  R  H BI  
Jaxx Hillman 2b       3  0  1  1
Anson Hall 3b         4  0  0  0
Brady Michel cf       3  0  0  0
Jared Maneth c        2  0  0  0
Konnor Ireland cr     0  2  0  0
Brayden Smith p       2  1  1  0
Koy Brack pr          0  1  0  0
Logan Perry 1b        3  0  1  1
Bryce Lytle ss        2  1  0  0
Payton Mauler rf      3  0  1  2
Jacob Murray lf       2  0  1  1
TOTALS               25  5  5  3
Goddard 400 000 0 — 4 8 1
Great Bend 000 300 2 — 5 5 1
  2B—Vang. S—Dryden 2. SF—Young. E—Perry, Young. SB—Ireland 3, Smith 2, Mauler, Bell, Young, Vang. DP—Goddard. HBP—Michel (Ramos); Beason (Smith); Perry, Hillman (Bell). Balk—Bell.
  Great Bend      IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO
B. Smith          5     7    4   4    3    3
Logan Perry       2     1    0   0    0    2
  Goddard         IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO
Nate Bell         3.1   3    3   3    3    1
Kale Ramos        3     2    2   2    5    3

Hays Diamond Classic
Thursday, May 5
Hays 10, Wichita Word of Life 0    
Salina Central 14, Word of Life 1
Hays 8, Great Bend 6        
Friday, May 6
Great Bend 5, Goddard 4
3:30 p.m.—Salina Central vs Goddard    
5:30 p.m.— Word of Life vs. Great Bend
8 p.m.— Hays vs. Salina Central         
Saturday, May 7
9 a.m.— Goddard vs. Word of Life
12:30 p.m.— Salina Central vs. Great Bend     
5 p.m.— Hays vs. Goddard