By Jim Misunas
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
HAYS — The Great Bend baseball team rallied from a loss to Hays with three consecutive wins Friday and Saturday in the Hays Diamond Classic. The Panthers placed first in the Diamond Classic with a run differential of 16, compared with Hays (14) and Salina Central (11).
The Panthers defeated Goddard 5-4, Wichita Life 13-1 and Salina Central 6-1. The Panthers (12-4) play Nickerson at home Monday at the Great Bend Sports Complex. Senior Night will honor Brady Michel, Jaxx Hillman, Anson Hall, Brett Basye and Jared Maneth.
GREAT BEND 6,
SALINA CENTRAL 1
Michel drove in three runs with three hits and Jaxx Hillman drove in two runs. Pitcher Michel worked five innings and Lytle finished the game.
In the third inning, the Panthers scored four runs on five singles off starter Garrett Campion. Payton Mauler singled and Jacob Murray singled on a bunt. Lytle walked to load the bases. Hillman delivered a two-run single to score Mauler and Murray. Michel followed with an RBI single that scored Lytle. Brayden Smith’s single scored Hillman for a 4-0 lead.
The Panthers scored two sixth-inning runs. Murray and Lytle singled and Michel’s double drove both runners home. Salina Central’s Ethan Speer singled home Bryan Dix in the sixth inning.
GREAT BEND AB R H BI
Bryce Lytle 3 2 1 0
Jaxx Hillman 4 1 1 2
Brady Michel 4 0 3 3
Jared Maneth 3 0 2 0
Brayden Smith 4 0 2 1
Logan Perry 3 0 0 0
Konnor Ireland 1 0 0 0
Anson Hall 3 0 0 0
Payton Mauler 4 1 2 0
Jacob Murray 4 2 2 0
TOTALS 32 6 13 6
G. Bend 004 002 0 — 6 13 0
S. Central 000 001 0 — 15 1
Michel, Lytle (6) and Maneth. Campion, Speer (6) and Dix. W—Michel. L—Campion. S—Maneth. 2B—SC, Richardson. LOB—GB 9, SC 4.
GREAT BEND 13, WICHITA LIFE 1
Great Bend scored seven first-inning runs to roar past Wichita Life 13-1 in the Hays Diamond Classic. Brady Michel delivered four hits and drove in two runs. Bryce Lytle drove in two runs. Brett Basye earned the victory while yielding five runs.
In the first inning, Jared Maneth singled home Jaxx Hillman, who walked. Anson Hall singled home Michel, who singled. Lytle singled home Jared Maneth and Brayden Smith after a single and a walk. Payton Mauler’s single drove home pinch runner Brice Kaiser and Lytle. Hillman’s sacrifice fly scored Mauler for a 7-0 lead.
Maneth singled home Michel in the second inning. Mauler drove in a run and Michel, Smith, Lytle and Ireland scored runs in a four-run fourth keyed by three errors. Michel’s double drove home Ireland in the fifth inning.
GREAT BEND AB R H BI
Jaxx Hillman 2 1 0 1
Konnor Ireland 4 2 1 0
Brady Michel 4 2 4 2
Jared Maneth 3 1 2 1
Brett Basye 1 0 0 0
Brayden Smith 3 2 0 1
Anson Hall 3 0 1 1
Brice Kaiser 0 1 0 0
Bryce Lytle 3 2 1 2
Payton Mauler 2 1 2 1
Jacob Murray 3 0 1 2
TOTALS 28 13 12 11
G.Bend 710 41 — 13 12 0
W. Life 001 00 — 1 5 3
2B—Michel. SF—Hillman. SB—Michel 2, Lytle, Mauler, Hillman, Ireland. LOB—GB 5, WL 6.
GREAT BEND 5,
GODDARD 4
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.
The Panthers 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 AB R H BI
Jaxx Hillman 3 0 1 1
Anson Hall 4 0 0 0
Brady Michel 3 0 0 0
Jared Maneth 2 0 0 0
Konnor Ireland 0 2 0 0
Brayden Smith 2 1 1 0
Koy Brack 0 1 0 0
Logan Perry 3 0 1 1
Bryce Lytle 2 1 0 0
Payton Mauler 3 0 1 2
Jacob Murray 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.
GBend IP H R ER BB SO
B. Smith 5 7 4 4 3 3
Perry 2 1 0 0 0 2
Goddard IP H R ER BB SO
Nate Bell 3.1 3 3 3 3 1
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
Salina Central 3, Goddard 2
Gerat Bend 13, Word of Life 1
Salina Central 4, Hays 2
Saturday, May 7
Goddard 3, Word of Life 1
Great Bend 6, Salina Central 1
Hays 8, Goddard 4
PLACES—1. Great Bend, 3-1 (plus 16); 2. Hays High 3-1 (plus 14); 3. Salina Central 3-1 (plus 11)
