HAYSVILLE, Kan. – An early 3-2 lead by the Great Bend Bat Cats was squandered in the bottom of the 9th by the Haysville Aviators, giving the Bat Cats a 4-3 loss in walk-off fashion.
Three defensive errors by Great Bend made the difference as only one of the four runs given up were earned. After the Bat Cats put up two runs in the top of the 1st thanks to three hits and RBI groundouts by TJ Shaw and Deacon Pomeroy, Haysville tied it back up in the bottom of the 1st on an infield single.
Great Bend battled back with an RBI double by Peanut Brazzle, driving home Carson Umphres, making the score 3-2. The score did not change until the 9th inning thanks to lockdown pitching from Great Bend’s Cooper Annin and Tyler Stuhlsatz and Haysville’s Bryson Lake and Nash Crosby.
Haysville went into the bottom of the 9th down 3-2, but two singles started off the inning. The second single advanced the runners an extra base due to an error. A ground ball to Walker at shortstop gave him a chance to throw out the runner at home, but the run scored to tie the game 3-3. Still with nobody out, Haysville had runners at first and second base. The next at-bat turned into an error on a sacrifice opportunity, loading the bases before Connor Rabe got his third hit of the game, driving home the winning run, ending the game in a 4-3 Haysville victory.
Stuhlsatz got the loss, but he had a great showing in three innings, striking out four batters. Brazzle, Elias Leon, and Logan Renken had two hits apiece. Both of Brazzle’s hits were doubles.
Great Bend is now 8-5 on the season. They’ll rematch with Haysville at home Friday, June 20 at 7 p.m.
