BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
GODDARD — The good news?
The Great Bend Bat Cats finally delivered an RBI after driving in one run in previous 24 at-bats with a runner in scoring position.
The bad news?
The 316 Sluggers extended the Bat Cats' losing streak to five games with a hard-fought 8-6 and 4-2 Sunflower Collegiate League sweep Wednesday. The 316 Sluggers (17-7) outscored the Bat Cats by a 26-12 margin. The Sluggers won the first two games by one run and closed the five-game sweep with a pair of two-run wins.
The Bat Cats (10-9) return home Friday to challenge Sunflower League powerhouse Cheney (17-5).
Wednesday was another chapter of missed opportunities and lack of clutch pitching, hitting and fielding.
Most of the breaks fell the Sluggers' way. If it weren't for bad luck, the Bat Cats would have no luck at all.
SLUGGERS 8, BAT CATS 6 (G1) — The Sluggers led 5-4 when pinch hitter Well Reetz drilled a line-shot three-run homer off reliever Diego Escobedo for an 8-4 fifth-inning lead. The four-run rally spoiled a Bat Cats' rally that tied the score 4-4.
Alex Rodgers scored on Jett Forrest's sacrifice fly and Noah Best scored on Micah Grover's double for a 2-0 lead. A.J. Mendolia singled home Conner Flagg and Drew Sturgeon and Mendolia scored on Jordan Rogers' first-inning double.
Slugger Flagg escaped a pickoff by pitcher Kolby Parker on a second-inning error and scored on Mendolia's single for a 4-2 lead.
Zane Spinn scored on Andrew Enwiya's fourth-inning triple and Enwiya scored on Tyler Henry's sacrifice fly for a 4-4 tie.
A tiring Parker departed after yielding fifth-inning singles to Sturgeon, Mendolia and Payton Tolle. Rogers hit a sacrifice fly for a 5-4 lead. Pinch-hitter Reetz drilled the first pitch off Escobedo for a 8-4 lead.
The Bat Cats scored a pair of seventh-inning runs. Noah Best doubled home Dylan Blomquist and Alex Rodgers scored on a wild pitch.
SLUGGERS 4, BAT CATS 2 (G2) — Barton Cougar graduate Jarrett Seaton threw four brilliant shutout innings before two lucky hits paved the way for the Sluggers.
Tanner Leslie's catchable ball dropped for a fifth-inning double. Flagg walked and Rogers reached on a topped infield single as Leslie scored on Best's throwing error. Payton Tolle's bloop single scored Flagg and Rogers for a 3-0 lead.
Bat Cat Rodgers scored on a sixth-inning error and Blomquist scored on Zane Spinn's sacrifice fly for a 3-2 score. A throwing error by Bat Cats reliever Matt Nedved gift wrapped an insurance run. Leslie singled home Jerimiah Cesar for a 4-2 lead.
Best was doubled off first base on Brett Freiberg's fly ball for a game-ending double play.
Bat Cats 200 200 2 — 6 5 1
Sluggers 310 400 x — 8 11 0
Parker, Escobedo (5) and Enwiya. Kimball, Koehler (5) and Jones. W—Kimball. L—Parker, 0-1. 2B—GB—Grover, Best; S—Rogers. 3B—GB—Enwiya. HR—S—Reetz.
Bat Cats 000 002 0 — 2 4 2
Sluggers 000 000 x — 4 7 2
Seaton, Nedved (6) and Forrest. Kimball, Koehler (5) and Murany. W—Spry. L—Seaton, 0-1. 2B—S—Leslie.
