Great Bend Post
The Great Bend High School baseball team climbed to No. 4 in regional rankings ahead of Thursday's home doubleheader against Dodge City. That put extra emphasis on the final six games of the regular season if the Panthers want to stay at home in the postseason. The final four games of the season will now carry some extra weight after Dodge City escaped with wins of 4-3 and 8-7.
Both teams scored a run in the first inning of game one. The Red Demons pulled ahead in the third inning, then plated a pair of runs in the sixth to lead 4-1.
Tyler Stuhlsatz singled and scored in the first inning for that early run. He had the chance to be the hero in the seventh inning. Edwin Chavez reached in that final frame with a one-out walk. Bradley Hopkins doubled with two outs to keep the rally alive. An error off the bat of Koehn Ribordy scored Chavez and Hopkins for a 4-3 score, with Stuhlsatz at the plate. The senior popped up to end the game.
Great Bend had just four hits in the loss. Hopkins doubled, and Stuhlsatz, Owen Kaiser, and Carson Umphres each singled. Umphres threw all seven innings in the loss. He struck out eight and allowed four earned runs on eight hits.
Game two was just as exciting. The Panthers had to overcome a seven-run second by the Demons, but trailed just 7-6 after four. Dodge City added a big run in the sixth and carried that 8-6 lead into the bottom of the seventh.
JJ Grove led off the seventh by being hit by a pitch. Chavez followed with a single before Hunter Herrman hit into a fielder's choice that left runners on the corners with an out in the books. A pair of balks allowed Grove to score and Herrman to move into scoring position. A Ribordy lineout to shortstop ended the rally and the doubleheader.
Kaiser and Umphres accounted for half the eight Panther hits, both reaching on a single and a double. Kaiser drove in two and Umphres scored twice. Ian Premer doubled, and Chavez, Grove, and Ribordy had the other singles.
Stuhlsatz picked up the loss, recording five outs and allowing seven runs, though just two of the runs were earned. Ribordy struck out five and allowed just three hits and an earned run in 4.1 innings of work, and Herrman threw a hitless inning.
The Panthers drop to 10-6 overall and return to action next Friday.