DE SOTO – St. Thomas Aquinas turned a projected high-level showdown with Great Bend into a rout in a battle between a pair of 3-time state baseball champions.

St. Thomas Aquinas pitcher Will Ray walked six batters in a 2-hit shutout over the Panthers 10-0 Friday at the DeSoto Round Robin. The Panthers batted 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded five runners.

Great Bend’s Daxton Minton doubled and J.J. Grove singled.

Panther starter Owen Kaiser (2-2, 3.93 ERA) struggled with his command with three walks and two hit batters. Reliever Peyden Oelger hit a pair of batters with two strikes.

Aquinas’ Wes Boyle singled home Brady Stewart in the first inning. The Saints converted two hit batters, a walk and misplayed bunt into a 3-run second inning. The third inning was identical with two hit batters, a walk and error gift wrapping another 3-run Aquinas inning.

The Saints (9-5) ended the 5-inning affair after Brady Stewart scored on an error followed by run-scoring singles by Brady Stewart and Cru Huenfield.

Great Bend (10-4) will play Spring Hill and DeSoto Saturday.

Great Bend 000 00 – 0 2 3

St. Thomas Aquinas 133 03 – 10 9 0

Kaiser, Oelger (3) and Milsap. Ray and C. Stewart. W—Ray. L—Kaiser. 2-2. 2B—STA—Labella; GB—Minton.

5A WEST REGIONALS—Andover Central 14-3, Maize South 12-3, Wichita Carroll 10-3, Great Bend 10-4, Topeka Seaman 9-4, Hays High 11-5, Goddard 11-6, Wichita Kapaun Mt. Carmel 9-6, Hutchinson 10-7, Andover High 9-8, Salina South 8-8, Goddard Eisenhower 7-7, Emporia 5-9, Newton 5-10, Valley Center 4-10, Salina Central 4-13, Arkansas City 3-12, Topeka West 1-10