BY JIM MISUNAS jmisunas@gbtribune.com HUTCHINSON — The Great Bend Bats were one fly ball from igniting a miraculous rally to their 2025 season. But Great Bend's heartbreaking 3-2 loss to the Hutchinson Monarchs perfectly summarized a tough-luck baseball season. When Hutchinson's Jake Knox lofted a lazy pop fly to right field for what appeared to be the game-winning out, Knox jogged to first base. However, Bat Cats right fielder Logan Renken was unable to locate the high pop fly in the dwindling sunlight. The baseball landed 10 feet away and bounced off the artificial turf over Renken's head. Knox raced to second base and could've been thrown out before Dylan Bell scored the game-winning run, but no throw was made. Hard-luck loser Kunz inherited a 2-1 lead, but walked Drew Bugner and Bell in the ninth-inning. Bat Cats starter Jacob Field completed eight brilliant innings, ending with a 5-4-3 double play turned by shortstop T.J. Shaw and second baseman Kyle Walker. A victory would've drawn Great Bend (15-12, 14-10 Jayhawk) within one-half game behind Derby Twins (18-9, 16-9 Jayhawk). The Bat Cats are 1-6 against the top two Jayhawk teams, including Hutchinson (22-5, 20-5 Jayhawk). Great Bend's Tony Moore drilled a second-inning homer. Renken doubled and scored on Walker's third-inning sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead. Field retired 16 of 17 batters until Tyler Mitchell tripled and scored on a Jake Gutierrrez seventh-inning single. Field escaped a third-and-first jam with a double play groundball by J.J. Spafford. GB Bat Cats 011 000 000 — 2 4 1 Hutchinson 000 001 002 — 3 6 0 Field, Kunz (8) and Leon. McClure, Chamberlain (7), Dickey (8) and Knox. W—Dickey. L—Kunz. 2B—GB— Brazzle, Ranken; H—Knox. 3B—H—Mitchell. HR—GB—Moore (3). JAYHAWK COLLEGIATE LEAGUE Hutchinson Monarchs 20-5 22-5 Derby Twins 16-9 18-9 GB Bat Cats 14-10 15-12 Haysville Aviators 15-11 18-11 Junction City Brigade 12-12 14-12 Rose Hill Wildcats 11-13 11-13 Kansas Cannons 11-12 13-13-1 Kingman Islanders 6-20 6-20 Newton Rebels 5-18 6-20 7-12—Bat Cats at Cannons; Liberal at Derby; Wildcats at Haysville; Kingman at Monarchs; Newton at Brigade (2) 7-11—Bat Cats at Cannons; Haysville at Wildcats; Monarchs at Kingman 7-10—Monarchs at Bat Cats; Newton at Kingman; Cannons at Derby (2) 7-9—Monarchs 3, Bat Cats 2; Cannons 10, Derby 4; Haysville 10-2, Brigade 6-6; Newton 11, Kingman 3 7-8—Derby 14, Kingman 1; Monarchs 8, Aviators 1; Hays 9, Cannons 5 7-7—Bat Cats 7, Brigade 3; Monarchs 10, Wildcats 4, Kingman 7, Derby 6; Hays 8, Newton 3 7-6—Brigade 13, Bat Cats 0; Monarchs 5, Aviators 2; Wildcats 6, Newton 5 7-5—Derby 13, Bat Cats 9; Monarchs 16, Kingman 6; Brigade 9, Cannons 0 7-3—Derby 8, Bat Cats 4; Aviators 7, Newton 3; Wildcats 2, Kingman 1 7-2—Derby 14, Dodge City 10; Aviators 7, Newton 5; Brigade 7, Cannons 5; Monarchs 12, Blacksox 3; Islanders 15, Wildcats 12 7-1—Wildcats 7-0, Bat Cats 5-4; Aviators 13, Kingman 8; Monarchs 11, Cannons 2; Newton 9, Dodge City 4 6-30—Derby 12, Brigade 11; Aviators 6, Kingman 3 6-29—Monarchs 10, Cannons 5 6-28—Bat Cats 13, Newton 6; Derby 10, Monarchs 5; Haysville 18, Wellington 1; Brigade vs. Kingman; Wildcats 12, Cannons 2 6-27—Bat Cats 22, Newton 6; Cannons 6, Wildcats 3; Brigade 15, Kingman 10; Monarchs 5, Derby 4 6-26—Bat Cats 6, Kingman 5; Newton 5, Monarchs 3 6-25—Bat Cats 14, Dodge City 2; Haysville 11, Derby 8; Monarchs 13, Newton 8; Wildcats 8, Brigade 0; Kingman 8, Cannons 4 6-24—Derby 5, Haysville 1; Wildcats 11, Brigade 4; Cannons 20, Kingman 10 6-23—Derby 20 Wellington 8 6-22—Aviators 7, Cannons 5; Derby 21, Newton 6 6-21—Bat Cats 8, Kingman 1; Monarchs 7, Wildcats 4; Cannons 11, Aviators 10; Newton 12, Derby 11; Brigade 9, KC Knights 8 6-20—Aviators 16, Bat Cats 12; Derby 10, Wildcats 4; Brigade 14, Monarchs 10 6-19—Haysville 4, Bat Cats 3; Derby 10, Wildcats 7; Cannons 6, Newton 4 6-18—Cannons 10, Newton 6; Monarchs 2, Brigade 1; Wildcats 12, Aviators 8 6-16—Bat Cats 7, Cannons 5; Aviators 14, Wildcats 13; Monarchs 8, Kingman 1 6-15—Derby 9, Monarchs 8; Brigade 10, Newton 4 6-14—Monarchs 9, Bat Cats 5; Brigade 10-7, Aviators 3-6; Kingman 7, Newton 2 6-13—Monarchs 2, Bat Cats 1; Derby 16, Cannons 15; Kingman 5, Newton 4; Brigade 13, KC Monarchs 3 6-12—Bat Cats 8, Brigade 5; Wildcats 6, Newton 5; Aviators 16, Kingman 3 6-11—Newton 6, Wildcats 5; Monarchs 11, Aviators 8; Derby 8, Kingman 3 6-10—Bat Cats 10, Brigade 8; Derby 8, Kingman 2; Aviators 6, Monarchs 5; Cannons 5, Hays 5 (TIE) 6-9—Bat Cats 7, Derby 1; Wildcats 4, Kingman 2; Cannons 12, Dodge City 6; Monarchs 8, Wichita Blacksox 3 6-8—Derby 6, Bat Cats 1; Aviators 13-1, Newton 10; Brigade 11, Cannons 5 6-7—Cannons 12, Brigade 11; Kingman 13, Wildcats 7 6-6—Derby 2, Brigade 0; Monarchs 14, Cannons 4 6-5—Bat Cats 1-10, Wildcats 0-0; Brigade 5, Derby 1; Aviators 18, Kingman 2; Monarchs 2, Cannons 0; Hays 9, Newton 3 6-4—Bat Cats 6, Newton 2; Cannons 5, Wildcats 2; Brigade 10, Kingman 1; Aviators 10, Wellington 9 6-2—Bat Cats 17, Newton 6; Monarchs 8, Derby 5; Cannons 7, Wildcats 3; Brigade 15, Kingman 4; Aviators 17, Moos 0 6-1—Wildcats 11, Brigade 10; Derby 9, Haysville 4 5-31—Haysville 13, Derby 7; Monarchs 13, Newton 2 5-30—Monarchs 4, Newton 3; Wildcats 5, Brigade 1 5-29—Cannons 5, Black Sox 1