Great Bend Post Sports
Panther baseball coach Randy Beck knew the series of games in De Soto Friday and Saturday would be tough. The loaded field included No. 10 Great Bend, No. 4 St. Thomas Aquinas, No. 6 De Soto, and Spring Hill. The Panthers finished the two-day event with a 1-2 record.
Great Bend's lone win as a 3-1 contest against Spring Hill. The Panthers scored all three runs in the third inning. JJ Grove was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame. Koehn Ribordy singled and Carson Umphres walked to loaded the bases with no outs. Ian Premer singled to right to drive in Grove and Ribordy. Umphres scored on a sac fly from Trenton Kern.
Spring Hill managed just three hits against Umphres, who allowed an unearned run in the sixth inning. Umphres struck out eight and walked five. Ribordy recorded the final out.
Grove led the offense with a single, double, and the hit-by-pitch. Great Bend had six hits in the win.
Play began with St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday night. The Saints scored in each of the first three innings to lead 7-0, then tacked on three more runs in the fifth to end the game early.
Aquinas pitcher Will Ray walked six Panthers but was otherwise effective, allowing just two hits and striking out four. Daxton Minton doubled and Ribordy singled for the two hits. Umphres and Owen Kaiser combined for four of the six walks.
Kaiser threw the first two innings, allowing five earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Peydon Oelger threw the final 2.2 innings, striking out one and allowing two earned runs on five hits.
Great Bend closed out competition with an 11-4 loss to De Soto on Saturday. The Wildcats opened up a 7-0 lead after three innings before the Panthers scratched across four runs in the top of the fourth. De Soto answered with a run in the fifth and the final three runs of the game in the sixth.
The Panther offense was highlighted by a solo shot from Umphres to lead off the fourth. With the based loaded, Minton doubled in the other three runs.
Umphres homered, singled, and walked. Minton doubled and singled. Singles from Premer and Kaiser were the only other Panther hits in the loss.
Hunter Herrman picked up the loss, going 2.2 innings and allowing seven runs on five hits. Just two of the runs were earned. Herrman also walked three and struck out a batter. Minton threw 2.2 innings, walking three and allowing two earned runs on four hits. Ribordy recorded two outs, walking three and allowing two earned runs on a single hit.
Great Bend moves to 11-5 on the season. The Panthers head to No. 5 TMP (2-1A) on Tuesday and travel to Dodge City on Friday.