BY JIM MISUNAS

jmisunas@gbtribune.com

WICHITA -- The last four losses for the Great Bend Bat Cats were decided in the final inning.

That all ended Monday night.

The 316 Sluggers overpowered the Bat Cats 8-0 in Monday's Sunflower Collegiate League baseball showdown at Wichita State. The 316 Sluggers (15-7) take over second place while the Bat Cats (10-7) drop into fourth place.

The lack of clutch hitting that delivered one run in 16 at-bats with runners in scoring position Saturday continued Monday. 

Alex Rodgers drilled a leadoff double, but was stranded when Noah Best, Dylan Blomquist and Nico Baumbach were retired by pitcher Kasey Williams (5-0). Williams struck out eight batters in a 111-pitch complete game.

The game ended the same way when Micah Grover grounded out with the bases loaded. The Bat Cats have driven in one run in their last 23 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

"We're seeing good pitching," said Bat Cats coach Roger Ward. "Their guy kept us on a teeter-totter. We hit balls at people. It wasn't our night."

Rodgers delivered two hits. Noah Best doubled and Baumbach, Jett Forrest and Junior Torres singled. The Bat Cats struck out eight times and hit a dozen fly ball outs.

The Bat Cats gift wrapped two unearned first-inning runs. Payton Tolle ripped an RBI double to score Conner Flagg. Drew Sturgeon scored on Trey DeGarmo's groundout. Sturgeon scored on a third-inning error. DeGarmo singled in a run and DeGarmo scored on Austin Warkins' double for a 5-0 lead.

"They are hitting on all cylinders and getting timely hits," Ward said. "Kuntzendorf maybe tried to do too much. He got ahead in counts, but got some balls elevated. Every game counts, but we've got to relax, have fun and enjoy the game."  

Flagg's fourth-inning double scored Jordan Rodgers. Flagg scored the seventh Sluggers' run on A.J. Mendolia's groundout. Rodgers scored the Sluggers' final run on an eighth-inning wild pitch. 

Bat Cats 000 000 000 -- 0 6 3

Sluggers 203 200 010 -- 8 9 0

Kuntzendorf, McDaniel (5), Hendricks (7) and Forrest. Williams and Warkins. W--Williams, 5-0.L--Kuntzendorf, 3-1. 2B--GB--Rodgers, Best.