Great Bend Post
Things were not ideal for the Panther baseball team heading into regional action Tuesday in Wichita. The Panthers entered their bracket as the No. 2 seed, but with five losses and their last six games, and a 1-3 combined record against Hays and potential opponent Kapaun-Mt. Carmel. But the bracket played out in Great Bend's favor. The Panthers took down Hays 3-1 in game one. Andover, with just seven wins on the season, knocked off top-seed Kapaun 4-3 in eight innings in the other semifinal. Great Bend punched its ticket to state with a 4-3 walk-off against Andover in the late game Tuesday night.
The Trojans carried all the momentum from the round-one upset into the first inning against Great Bend for a 3-0 lead after one at-bat. Edwin Chavez, who came up with two of the three Panther hits and drove in two runs against Hays, put down the game-winning attempt in the championship game.
Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Tyler Stuhlsatz walked with one out, then came around to score on a two-out double from Carson Umphres. JJ Grove led off the extra frame with a single. Trenton Kern followed with a single, and Grove was able to score on an error off Chavez's bat to win the regional.
Umphres homered in the sixth inning to get the Panthers within striking distance. Hunter Herrman singled and scored to get Great Bend on the board in the third inning.
After allowing the three earned runs in the first inning, Herrman settled in to go 5.2 innings with six hits allowed and six strikeouts. Stuhlsatz picked up the win, throwing the final 2.1 innings and striking out two while allowing no runs on two hits.
Umphres proved to be the difference offensively with the home run, double, two RBIs, and run scored. Kern singled three times and walked once. Stuhlsatz singled and walked, coming around to score once.
The Class 5A State Baseball Championships will be held at Wichita State University's Eck Stadium May 25-26. The Panthers will enter the bracket with a 13-9 record.
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The Great Bend Panther baseball team advanced to the Class 5A State Baseball Tournament after picking up a 4-3 win over Andover Tuesday, May 16 in the Regional Championship game.
Earlier Tuesday, the Panthers defeated Hays 3-1 in the first game of the playoffs.
Great Bend will play May 25 at Eck Stadium at Wichita State University in the opening round of the State Tournament.