
By Alex Hammeke
After being unable to find a victory while down in Wichita, The Bat Cats grabbed program victory #100 in a comeback game against the Cheney Diamond Dawgs. Great Bend found themselves down 5-3 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, when the ‘Cats would pick up 6 runs on 4 hits to take a 9-6 series opening victory over the league leading Dawgs. Friday’s win was the only game the Bat Cats could put in the victory column, as the 316 Sluggers would sweep the Bat Cats in Wichita, and Cheney would take a victory before the all star break from the Bat Cats.
Five Bat Cats were selected for the 2021 Sunflower Collegiate League Evergy All-Star Game, which will be played Monday evening at Wichita State University’s Eck Stadium. Outfielder Alex Rodgers and Catcher Jett Forrest will join the pitching trio of Gyeongju Kim, Zach Thornton, and Jake Kuntzendorf to represent Great Bend. All five Bat Cats players will represent the SCL West, which is formed of Great Bend, Hutchinson, Cheney, and Andale.
In a scheduling note, the Great Bend Bat Cats will finish up their previously suspended contest with Hutchinson this week. The game will take place on Tuesday, with a 7PM first pitch. It will resume right where it was suspended, with the game beginning in the bottom of the third inning, with Hutchinson up 4-0. The Bat Cats have moved their games with Cheney to Wednesday and Thursday, before having Friday off.
Monday: Bat Cats 0, 316 Sluggers 8
The Bat Cats found themselves shut out for the first time in the season. The Bat Cats would get six hits, but could not find a way to push them around the bases, leaving six Bat Cats on the bases.
The Sluggers would give starting pitcher Jake Kuntzendorf problems to start, giving up five earned runs in four innings. Kacey Williams would keep the Bat Cats off the board in his first complete game, only allowing one walk and striking out eight Bat Cats.
Wednesday Game 1: Bat Cats 6, 316 Sluggers 8
Having their game on Tuesday rained out, The Bat Cats rescheduled their contest for a Wednesday doubleheader against the Sluggers at the Genesis Sports Complex.
The Bat Cats would grab a pair of runs to start the contest, when a wild pitch would score Alex Rodgers, and a Micah Grover double would score Noah Best. The Sluggers would add three runs in the bottom half, and would add a run to double the lead in the second inning.
The Bat Cats would tie the game in the fourth inning, when an Andrew Enwiya triple that scored Zane Spinn. Enwiya would later score with a sac fly from Tyler Henry. The Cats would keep the game tied until the Sluggers would regain the lead in the fifth. Drew Sturgeon would score on a Jordan Rogers sac fly, but Will Reetz would take care of the lead. The pinch hitter only needed one pitch to slam a fly ball out of the park for a three run home run.
The Bat Cats would put two runs on the board in the seventh, but a Noah Best double could only cut the lead in half.
Wednesday Game 2: Bat Cats 2, 316 Sluggers 4
The offensive production in the final game of the 316 series did not show up until the fifth inning. The Sluggers would score three runs in the fifth, but the Bat Cats would respond in the sixth. A Spinn sac fly would score Alex Rodgers, and a Grover single would score Dylan Blomquist. After the Sluggers would score one run to respond, Great Bend would strand a leadoff walk to end the contest.
The loss marked the first time this season that the Bat Cats had lost a series. This also was the first time that the Bat Cats were swept this season. Jarrett Seaton took the loss for the Cats, allowing three runs, one earned, in five innings. Seaton struck out five batters in his first start this season.
Friday: Bat Cats 9, Cheney Diamond Dawgs 6
Cheney would jump out to an early 5-1 lead after five innings. Nico Baumbach would score Rodgers for the lone Bat Cats run in the third inning. Great Bend get within two runs of Cheney in the sixth inning, when Brett Freiberg and Junior Torres would score on a Blomquist single.
After two scoreless innings for Cheney, the Bat Cats would take the lead. With Kyle Gates at first base and two outs, the rally started with a Blomquist single. Rodgers would get a free base with a six pitch walk, and Noah Best would bring Gates and Blomquist home for the lead on a single. Zane Spinn would send Best and Rodgers home with a double, and the Bat Cats had a two-run lead. Great Bend would extend the lead to four runs after a Jett Forrest double which scored Spinn and Baumbach.
Cheney would rally for a two-out rally of their own, scoring one run and bringing the tying run to the plate, but a fly out to center field would secure the comeback victory.
The win was the 100th victory for the Great Bend Bat Cats as a program. David Blackburn picked up the win in relief for the ‘Cats, allowing two runs on two hits in five innings.
Saturday: Cheney Diamond Dawgs 8, Bat Cats 4
Trying to avoid a losing skid of their own, Cheney battled in the final innings to even the series heading into the all-star break.
Nobody would score in the first two innings, but Cheney would open the game wide open with four runs in the third inning. Great Bend would respond with two runs. Kyle Gates would score off a Noah Best sac fly, and Nico Baumbach’s double would score Alex Rodgers.
Both team were held off the board until the sixth inning, when the Cats would score two more runs. Andrew Enwiya would have a called strike blow right past him before belting out a homer out to the railroad tracks for his third homer of the year, while an Alex Rodgers sac fly scored JD Ortiz to tie the ball game up at four. Cheney would score three runs in the seventh, and add an insurance run in the ninth to take a commanding 8-4 lead over the Bat Cats.
The loss put Great Bend at 12-10 on the season, and 11-10 in Sunflower Collegiate League action heading into the All-Star Game. Hutchinson leads the division, followed closely by Cheney and the 316 Sluggers. Great Bend is fourth, five games behind the league lead and a half game in front of Derby.