BY JIM MISUNAS jmisunas@gbtribune.com WICHITA — The Great Bend Bat Cats hung close to the Santa Barbara (Calif.) Foresters for five innings, trailing 2-0. The Foresters iced an 8-0 run-rule NBC World Series victory with a 5-run sixth inning off reliever Eli Lang when six consecutive baserunners reached base. Lang pitched effectively for 31/3 innings. Great Bend had nine baserunners, four reaching base as leadoff batters. The Bat Cats batted 1-for-10 with runners on base against starter Noah Waldeck and reliever Daniel McAuliff. Two runners were erased on double plays against Peanut Brazzle and Chase Chapman. George McCarroll was picked off to waste a 2-on, 2-out fifth-inning situation with T.J. Shaw at bat down 2-0. Starting pitcher Jacob Field and Lang kept Great Bend close. Caleb Hoover delivered an RBI single for a 1-0 lead. Catcher Cesar Chavira threw out Hoover stealing. Shortstop Shaw turned a 6-3 double play. Santa Barbara's Addison Klepsch, Kurt Ippolito and Zane Becker drilled RBI singles. Easton Moomau scored on a bases-loaded walk and Ippolito scored on a fly ball for a 7-0 lead. Donovan LaSalle's homer off Aiden Tackett ended the game on a run rule. The Bat Cats (24-11) were shut out for the first time in 23 NBC World Series games. Santa Barbara beat the Bat Cats 6-1 and 5-4 in two prior games. The Bat Cats play the Liberal Bee Jays at 6 a.m. Sunday at Wichita State's Eck Stadium. Great Bend 000 000 0 — 0 4 1 Santa Barbara 101 005 1 — 8 10 3 Field, Lang (3), Tackett (6) and Chavira. Waldeck, McAuliff (6) and Becker. W—Waldeck. L—Field, 0-2. 2B—SB—Janusek. 3B—SB—Janusek. HR—SB—LaSalle. NBC POOLS POOL A—Lonestar Baseball 1-0 (+1), Seattle Blackfins 1-0 (+1), TPA Texas 0-1 (-1), Hutchinson Monarchs 0-1 (-1) POOL B—Junction City Brigade 1-0 (+7), Austin Gold Sox 1-0 (+3), Seattle Cheney Studs 0-1 (-3), Oklahoma Lookouts 0-1 (-7) POOL C—Santa Barbara Foresters 1-0 (+8), Between The Lines Hornets 1-0 (+2), Liberal Bee Jays 0-1 (-2), Great Bend Bat Cats 0-1 (-8) POOL D—Hays Larks 1-0 (+6), San Diego Stars 0-1 (-6), Alaska Goldpanners vs Tess’s Army NBC WORLD SERIES -23—Lonestar Baseball 6, Hutchinson 5; Austin Gold Sox 10, Seattle Cheney Studs 7 6-24—Seattle Blackfins 6, TPA Texas 5; Between the Lines Hornets 7, Liberal 5; Santa Barbara Foresters 8, Great Bend 0; Junction City Brigade 7, Oklahoma Lookouts 0 6-25—Hays Larks 9, San Diego Stars 3; 3 p.m.—Alaska Goldpanners vs Tess's Army; 6 p.m.—Hutchinson vs TPA Texas; 9 p.m.—Seattle Blackfins vs Lonestar Texas 6-26—12 midnight—BTL Hornets vs Santa Barbara; 3 a.m.—Junction City vs Seattle Cheney Studs; 6 a.m.—Great Bend vs Liberal; 12—Oklahoma Lookouts vs Austin Gold Sox; 3 p.m.—Hays Larks vs Tess's Army; 6 p.m.--San Diego Stars vs Alaska Goldpanners 6-27—12—Austin Gold Sox vs Junction City; 3 p.m.—TPA Texas vs Lonestar Baseball; 6 p.m.—Seattle Cheney Studs vs Oklahoma Lookouts; 8:30 p.m.—Hutchinson vs Seattle Blackfins BAT CATS NBC HISTORY (13-10) 2026 (0-1)—Santa Barbara 8, GB 0 2023 (3-2, 5TH)—GB 4, Tulsa Sandlot 2; GB 17, Five Tool Kraken 11; GB 17, Seattle Blackfins 5; Santa Barbara 5, GB 4; Seattle Studs 6, GB 1 2021 (3-2, 5TH)—Austin Lonestar 7, GB 5; GB 13, Wichita Elite 0; GB 9, Wichita Sluggers 1; GB 5, Hutchinson Monarchs 4; Cheney 10, GB 8 2019 (4-4, 5TH)—GB 6, Wichita Sluggers 3; Waco Missions 7, GB 5; GB 5, Hays Larks 4; GB 24, Hutchinson Monarchs 10; Santa Barbara 6, GB 1; GB 11, Colorado Gameday 1; Haysville 6, GB 1; San Diego Stars 6, GB 1 2017 (3-1, 9TH)—GB 9, Dallas Dirtbags 5; GB 7, Hattiesburg, Miss. 2; GB 8, Inland Empire, Calif. 4; Cheney 5, GB 3