Great Bend Post Sports
The winds canceled softball action in Hays Tuesday, but the Panther baseball team, playing further east in McPherson, was able to open up the McPherson quad with a pair of wins. No. 9 Great Bend used a big sixth inning to drop Emporia 14-4, then took down sixth-ranked McPherson (4A) 3-1.
The Panthers jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one inning against Emporia, and the lead grew to 3-0 after three innings. Both teams plated four runs in the fourth and a run in the fifth to keep the game competitive at 7-4 into the sixth.
Great Bend made quick work of Emporia in the top of the sixth, then the Panther bats exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted by a grand slam from Trenton Kern. Owen Kaiser and Ian Premer followed a Carson Umphres double to load the bases for Kern. His blast to center field pushed the Panther lead to 11-4 with one out. The bases were again loaded with two outs when Koehn Ribordy singled in Hunter Herrman and Peyden Oelger. Another double from Umphres scored JJ Grove to end the game early.
Eight of the nine Panther batters combined for 17 hits. Umphes went 4-for-4 with three doubles and a walk, driving in two and scoring three times. Grove and Daxton Minton each singled three times. Ribordy doubled and singled for three RBIs, and Herrman singled twice and scored twice. Kern's lone hit provided four RBIs and a run.
Umphres pitched all six innings for the win, striking out seven and allowing two earned runs on four hits.
The Panthers used another big sixth inning to sneak by McPherson in game two. The Bullpups scored a run in the fourth and held a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth.
Ribordy opened the sixth with a double, and walks from Umphres and Premer loaded the bases with no outs. Kaiser went hitless in game one but drew a pair of walks. His walk in the sixth inning of game two tied the game 1-1. Kern followed with a 2-run single for what proved to be the game-winning hit.
Herrman finished with a pair of singles in the win. Ribordy doubled for his lone hit, and Kern finished with the two RBIs on his single.
Kaiser picked up the win on the mound, throwing the final two innings and striking out four while allowing just one hit. Herrman pitched the middle 2.1 innings, walking six, striking out two, and allowing just one hit. Minton threw the first 2.2 innings, striking out one and allowing an earned run on three hits.
Great Bend moves to 10-3 on the season. The Panthers return to McPherson Friday to play No. 4 St. Thomas Aquinas at 3 p.m.