Great Bend Post Sports
Prep sports action around the state turned into a race against the weather. Friday night in McPherson, the Panther baseball team was helped by some quick innings from Carson Umphres on the mound. Following a 6-3 loss to Salina South, Umphres threw five no-hit innings and strike out nine as Great Bend run-ruled Junction City as the storms arrived.
Umphres was perfect until walking a Bluejay batter with two outs in the fifth inning. He got help from the offense right away as the Panthers scratched across five runs in the first and six more in the third to lead 12-0.
Sophomore Ian Premer had another monster game at the plate with two doubles and a triple to drive in five runs and score three times. Umphres helped himself out with a double, a single, and a walk with a pair of RBIs and runs scored. Peyden Oelger singled and doubled, and Owen Kaiser doubled and walked. JJ Grove singled and walked twice, coming around to score twice.
Three late runs from Salina South in game one cost Great Bend the sweep. The Panthers led 2-1 after one and held that lead until the Cougars plated two runs in the fifth. Great Bend got a run in the sixth to tie things up before South decided the game in the top of the seventh.
Hunter Herrman threw the first 5.1 innings, striking out three and allowing two earned runs on four hits. He walked three batters. Kaiser threw the final five outs, striking out five but allowing three earned runs on two hits with a pair of walks.
The Panther offense managed just four hits and five walks in the loss. Umphres and Koehn Ribordy each doubled, and Kaiser and Slade Mohr each singled. Grove reached on a pair of walks.
Great Bend moves to 18-6 on the season and travels to Manhattan for a pair of games against the Indians on Wednesday.