BY JIM MISUNAS
jmsunas@gbtribune.com
The showdown between Sunflower Collegiate powerhouse Cheney and Great Bend was a hitter's dream with 100-degree heat and breezy south winds.
Bat Cat Kyle Gates delivered the key blow with a 3-run homer off Cheney reliever Jake Burcham that ignited a 16-7 Sunflower Collegiate League victory Thursday. Gates (.333, 30 RBI) drilled his homer to centerfield and popped an opposite 2-run double in the seventh inning for a 5-RBI night.
"The opposite field approach means everything to me," Gates said. "I took it and other way and made good swings. It meant everything to come out strong. It shows we're going to fight and play our best baseball."
The Bat Cats (26-10, 22-9) trail Cheney (29-6, 25-6) by three games heading to Friday's fourth game at Cheney.
Great Bend jumped to a 5-0 lead. Si Schumacher drilled a 2-run single and Bodi Wallar hit an RBI single. Red-hot Alex Rodgers (.360, 31 runs) hit a sacrifice fly and Wallar ripped an RBI double. Cheney's Cole Miears ripped back-to-back 3-run and 2-run homers for a 5-5 tie off starter Brayden Tower.
Great Bend responded when Simon Larranaga (.337) drilled his eighth homer. Gates drove home Colter Maldanado and Rodgers for a 9-5 lead. The Bat Cats iced the ballgame when Riley Silva and Gates ripped back-to-back 2-run doubles in a 5-run seventh inning. Schumacher scored on a wild pitch and Silva's bases-loaded walk made it 16-7.
Reliever Matthew Howell (3-0, 2.34) pitched three solid innings to earn the victory.
Cheney 003 020 020 — 7 8 10
GB Bat Cats 320 013 52x — 16 15 1
Ashcraft, Anthies (3), Burcham (4), Cox (7) and Moore. Tower, Howell (5), Brett Allen (8) and Schumacher. W—Howell, 3-0. L—Burcham, 3-2. 2B—GB—Gates 2, Rodgers, Spinn, Silva; C—Ashby. HR—GB—Larranaga (8); Gates (3); C—Miears 2 (2, 3).
PITCHING (26-11)—Lanik 5-1, 4.76; Stuart 4-0, 3.29; Howell 3-0, 2.34; Austin 2-0, 1.20; Riley 2-1, 5.74; Tower 2-1, 5.06; Nedved 2-1, 2 SV, 2.31; Albus 2-2, 3.75; McWilliams 1-0, 6.50; Thornton 1-0, 0.00; Rose 1-1, 0.45; Gonzalez 1-1, 4.50; Brett Allen 0-1, 2.79; Tinkler 0-2, 5.51
HITTING—Rodgers, .350, 32R, 13 RBI, 16 SB, 5 HR; Larranaga, .333, 23R, 23 RBI, 8 HR; Gates, .333, 19R, 30 RBI, 14 SB; Silva .333, 22 R, 13 SB; Wallar, .305, 21R, 30 RBI, 6 HR; Mustow, .297, 20R, 2 HR; Christian, .256, 13R, 17 RBI, 11 SB; Kreutzer, .255, 9R, 11 RBI; Gotreaux, .250, 11R 8 SB; Maldanado, .212, 9R, 10 RBI; Schumacher, .228, 9R; Connor Allen, .183, 11R; Malone, .188, 16R, 1 HR; Aramal, .160, 8R, 1 HR; Spinn, .185, 5R.
Cheney 27-6
Hutchinson 26-6
Great Bend 26-10
Derby 21-12
Newton 20-12
Haysville 17-14
Kingman 16-17
316 Elite 3-25
Mulvane 3-29
Lobos 3-31
7-21—Great Bend forfeit over Lobos; Newton at Hutchinson; Haysville at Cheney
7-20—Great Bend forfeit over Lobos; Hutchinson at Newton; Derby at Kingman; Cheney at Haysville
7-19—Great Bend forfeit over Lobos; Newton at Hutchinson; Derby at Kingman; Cheney at Kansas Cannons; Elite at Mulvane (2)
7-18—Great Bend forfeit over Lobos; Kingman at Derby; Hutchinson at Newton; Cheney at Haysville
7-17—Cheney 4, Haysville 3; Kingman 12, Derby 2; Elite at Mulvane (2)
7-16—Hutchinson forfeit over Mulvane; Derby 14, Lobos 8; Haysville 9, Newton 5
7-15—Cheney 9, Great Bend 4; Kingman 5-10, Elite 0-8; Lobos 5, Derby 1; Hutchinson forfeit over Mulvane
7-14—Great Bend 16, Cheney 7; Derby 2, Lobos 0; Haysville 7, Newton 5; Hutchinson 19, Mulvane 6
7-13—Cheney 15, Great Bend 5; Derby 5, Lobos 3; Newton 10, Haysville 7; Kingman 9,. Elite 7
7-12—Great Bend 4, Cheney 1; Haysville 11, Newton 1; Hutchinson 11, Mulvane 1; Kingman 5, Elite 4
7-11—Cheney 5, Newton 3
7-10—Great Bend 12, Derby 7; Hutchinson 11, Kingman 0; Lobos 4, Elite 0
7-9—Great Bend 10, Derby 5; Hutchinson 8, Kingman 0; Haysville 6, Mulvane 5; Cheney 6, Newton 5
7-8—Derby 4, Great Bend 3; Hutchinson 16, Kingman 3; Newton 6, Cheney 3; Lobos 7, Elite 4
7-7—Great Bend 4, Derby 3; Hutchinson 15, Kingman 10; Cheney 5, Newton 4
7-6—Newton 12, Mulvane 5
7-4—Derby 13, Mulvane 3
7-3—Great Bend 4, Kingman 3; Hutchinson 12, Haysville 2; Derby 12-2, 2-1 Mulvane
7-2—Kingman 6, Great Bend 5; Haysville 4, Hutchinson 2; Cheney def. Lobos 2 (forfeit)
7-1—Kingman 4, Great Bend 3; Hutchinson 12, Haysville 2; Cheney 9, Kansas Cannons 5
6-30—Great Bend 17, Kingman 1; Hutchinson 5, Haysville 4, 12 innings; Cheney 12-10, Lobos 9-0; Newton 9, Wellington 3
6-29—Hutchinson 7, Great Bend 3; Cheney 1, Mulvane 0; Derby 15-0 14-2 Elite; Haysville 6-5, 3-2 Elite
6-28—Hutchinson 13, Great Bend 6; Cheney 16-14, Mulvane 7-1; Haysville 3, Lobos 2; Newton 15, Kingman 7
6-27—Hutchinson 6, Great Bend 2; Kingman 4, Newton 2; Derby 11, Elite 0; Haysville 6, Lobos 1
6-26—Cheney 13, Mulvane 1; Newton 5, Kingman 2; Haysville 8, Lobos 4
6-25—Great Bend 4, Hutchinson 3; Cheney 10, Mulvane 1; Newton 16, Kingman 6; Derby 9, Elite 4; Haysville 14, Lobos 1
6-24—Derby 5, Hutchinson 4; Hutchinson 9, Derby 0; Cheney 13-16, 316 Elite 0-0 ; Kingman 5, Mulvane 3
6-23—Great Bend 7, Haysville 5; Kingman 13, Mulvane 3; Hutchinson 8-2, Derby 2-1
6-22—Great Bend 6, Haysville 3; Newton def. Lobos (2), forfeit; Kingman def. Mulvane, forfeit
6-21—Great Bend 8, Haysville 1, Cheney 11-17, 316 Elite 0-0; Kingman def. Mulvane, forfeit
6-20—Newton 7-1, Lobos 6-0, Haysville 4, Great Bend 3
6-19—Newton 6, Great Bend 2; Derby 23, Haysville 11
6-18—Cheney 13, Kingman 1; Mulvane 3, Lobos 0; Mulvane 4; Derby 12 Haysville 8; Hutchinson 15, 316 Elite 0
6-17—Great Bend 6, Newton 3; Cheney 15, Kingman 1; Hutchinson 16, 316 Elite 0; Mulvane 13, Lobos 12; Haysville 6, Derby 3
6-16—Great Bend 11, Newton 7; Hutchinson 12-10, 316 Elite 2-4; Derby 9, Haysville 2; Cheney 9, Kingman 8; Lobos 11-0, Mulvane 1-2
6-15—Great Bend 4, Newton 1, Cheney 18, Kingman 4
6-14—Great Bend 15-13, 316 Elite 0-1; Haysville 14, Liberal 6; Cheney 12, Hutchinson 4; Derby 15, Kansas Cannons 0
6-13—Kingman 6-0, Lobos 4-6; Liberal 17, Haysville 8; Newton 11, Derby 1; Cheney 15, Hutchinson 5
6-12—Great Bend 8-11, Mulvane 0-0; Hutchinson 7, Cheney 4; Newton 11, Derby 5
6-11—Great Bend 18-7, Mulvane 2-1; Derby 2, Newton 1; Cheney 7, Hutchinson 4; Haysville 4, Valley Center 1; Lobos 6, Kingman 5
6-10—Derby 10, Newton 7; Lobos 6, Kingman 4
6-9—Great Bend 18, Dodge City 1; Newton 7, Mulvane 0
6-8—Hutchinson 10-8, Lobos 2-1; Derby 4-1, Cheney 2-4; Kingman 4, Haysville 1; Newton 16, Mulvane 3; 316 Elite 3, North Dallas 0; Dallas Tigers 2, 316 Elite 1
6-7—Hutchinson 5-7, Lobos 2-2; Newton 6, Mulvane 2; Kingman 14, Haysville 4; Cheney 9, Derby 5; 316 Elite 7, Dallas Twins 5; Dallas Tigers 9, 316 Elite 2
6-6—Great Bend 5, Dodge City 2
6-5—Great Bend 9-3, 316 Elite 5-2; Haysville 5, Kingman 3; Derby 13, Cheney 0
6-4—Newton 7, Valley Center 6; Haysville 12, Kingman 4
6-3—Hays 8, Great Bend 0; Derby 14, Kansas Cannons 7; Newton 11, Valley Center 2; Wellington 9, Kingman 6
6-2—Cheney 15, Wellington 1; Great Bend 5, Hays 3; Derby 7, Kansas Cannons 5; Newton def. Elite (2) forfeit
6-1—Great Bend 12, McPherson 5; Newton def. Elite (2) forfeit
