The Great Bend Braves downed Larned 8-4 in Thursday’s baseball opener. Larned gained a split with a hard-earned 10-8 victory in the second game.

The Braves (15-8) will compete at the AAA State Tournament July 26-29 at Leavenworth. Larned (8-8) will compete in the Beloit AA Zone July 17-19.

GB BRAVES 8, LARNED 4 (G1) – Great Bend's Trenton Kern (1-0) pitched four innings and drove in three runs to spark an 8-4 victory over Larned.

Larned's Tristan Regan scored on a wild pitch for a 1-0 lead. Kern, Trey Milsap and Aiden Hekele delivered RBI singles and Milsap scored on an error for a 4-1 lead. Kern's single drove home Jaxon Wondra and Eli Soupiset for a 6-1 lead.

Larned's Deacon Martin ripped a 2-run third-inning single to score Regan and Carson Shaver. Slade Mohr scored on a passed ball and Wondra's single scored Hekele for an 8-3 lead. Corbyn Nance scored on Shaver's single for an 8-4 final. 

LARNED 10, GB BRAVES 8 (G2) – Brady Hope drove in three runs with two hits to lead Larned. Regan, Ty Smith and Nance also drove in runs. Hope scored on an error and wild pitch. Smith scored on an error and wild pitch. Martin scored on a passed ball.

Great Bend's Peyden Oelger drove in four runs with three hits. He ignited a 6-run seventh inning with a 2-run single. Second baseman Nance threw out Oelger at home for the game's final out. Daxton Minton, Milsap and Soupiset also drove in runs.

Larned 102 001 0 – 4 4 3

GB Braves 422 000 x – 8 8 2

Regan, Carson Shaver (4) and Martin. Trenton Kern, Saffa (5) and Milsap. W—T. Kern, 1-0. L—Regan, 4-4.

Larned 023 104 0 – 10 11 4

GB Braves 200 000 6 – 8 5 4

Hope, Martin (4), Carson Shaver (7) and Carson Shaver, Martin (7). Milsap, Mohr (5), Wondra (6) and Saffa. W—Martin, 1-1. L—Milsap, 5-2. 2B—GB—Soupiset; L—Carson Shaver. 3B—GB—Oelger; L—Hope.