BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

WICHITA — Great Bend pitcher Townshend Kurth threw a five-hit shutout to spark the Panthers to a baseball doubleheader sweep 8-0 and 13-3 over Wichita Independent Thursday.
The Panthers (2-2) are scheduled to play defending WAC champion Liberal at home Tuesday at the Great Bend Sports Complex.
GREAT BEND 8, INDEPENDENT 0 (G1) – Kurth struck out six batters with no walks. Kurt retired Nick Jackson with no runners on and two out in the seventh inning to preserve his shutout.
Joey Soupiset doubled home Chance Perry and Eddie Bujanda in the first inning. Soupiset scored on a double steal with Alex Schremmer for a 3-0 first-inning lead.
Perry’s single scored Colin Hall and Perry scored on a double steal with Dalton Bieker for a 5-0 lead after four innings. Brack doubled and scored on Soupiset’s fifth-inning groundout. Perry doubled home Riley Smith and Perry scored on a sixth-inning wild pitch for an 8-0 lead.

GREAT BEND 13, INDEPENDENT 3 (G2) – Koy Brack drove in four runs and Soupiset added two runs batted in for a run-rule victory. Soupiset (1-0) worked four innings in relief to earn the victory.
Brack’s triple scored Perry and Brack scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead. Bieker scored on a second-inning error. Eddie Bujanda’s single scored Perry and Soupiset’s single scored Schremmer for a 5-0 lead.
Perry’s squeeze bunt scored Smith and Bieker scored on a double steal for a 7-2 lead. Brack drove home Perry, Kurth’s groundout scored Schremmer and Soupiset’s single scored Bujanda for a 10-2 lead.
Brack’s double scored Perry and Schremmer for a 12-3 fourth-inning lead. Smith’s sacrifice fly scored Soupiset for a 10-run lead.

Great Bend 300 212 0 – 8 7 0
Independent 000 000 0 – 0 5 3
Kurth and Brack. Meuhling, Jacobsen (6) and Littlel. W—Kurth, 1-0. L—2B—GB—Perry, Brack, Soupiset.

Great Bend 235 21 – 13 14 1
Independent 021 00 – 3 1 2
Brack, Soupiset (2) and Brack. Newman, Collins (3) and Littell. W—Soupiset, 1-0. L—Newman. 2B—GB—Brack. 3B—GB—Brack.