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Bat Cats face do-or-die showdown
NBC World Series berth on the line Saturday
Spt_LF_ Andrugh Yee home run DSC_49432_12.jpg
Team cheer after Andrugh Yee hit a home run - photo by Lori Farmer

BY JIM MISUNAS

jmisunas@gbtribune.com

Give the Haysville Aviators credit.

Haysville scored three unearned runs off Great Bend starter Zachary Alarid and rolled to a 10-5 victory to prevent the Bat Cats from clinching the Jayhawk Collegiate title Friday.

Great Bend will clinch an NBC World Series bid with a victory Saturday against Haysville.

The Bat Cats (22-9 Jayhawk) are tied with Junction City (22-9) for first place with Hutchinson (20-9) and Derby (19-9) close behind. Great Bend owns a 3-1 tiebreaker against Junction City.

The Aviators converted an error into a 3-run fourth inning keyed by Owen Rush's 2-run single for a 4-1 lead off Alarid (4-1, 1.19 ERA).

After Andrugh Yee's 11th homer, the Bat Cats drew within 5-2 on Chase Kessler's seventh-inning RBI single.

Bat Cat reliever Lane French (3.05 ERA) threw two solid innings. But he yielded five earned runs with a season-high 79 pitches in a 5-run eighth inning.

Great Bend rallied when T.J. Shaw scored on a wild pitch and Chase Chapman drew a bases-loaded walk for a 10-4 score. But Kessler and Dylan Sarna were retired to leave the bases loaded in the eighth inning.

Jaxon Bunkers delivered a ninth-inning RBI single, but Yee's double-play groundball ended the ballgame.

Haysville 001 301 050 — 10 13 1

Great Bend 100 000 121 — 5 9 2

Senne, Rohe (8), Tackett (8) and Evans. Alarid, French (5), Kaiser (8) and Kessler. W—Senne. L—Alarid. 2B—GB—Chavira; H—Hand. 3B—H—Fenlon. HR—GB—Yee (11); H—Fenlon, Fitzpatrick.

JAYHAWK COLLEGIATE

Junction City Brigade 23-9 24-9

Great Bend Bat Cats 22-10 24-10

Hutchinson Monarchs 20-9 21-9

Derby Twins 20-9 20-10

Haysville Aviators 17-13 22-13

Kansas Cannons 14-16 15-16-1

Newton Rebels 9-21 11-23

Wichita Factory 8-22 8-22

Kingman Islanders 3-28 3-28

7-15—Great Bend 11, Hutchinson 5; Junction City 9, Derby 0; Cannons 15, Newton 4

7-16—Junction City 9, Cannons 3; Haysville 12, Kingman 3

7-17—Haysville 10, Great Bend 5; Hutchinson 13, Newton 2; Junction City 9, Wichita 0

7-18—Haysville 14, Great Bend 8; Kingman 12, Newton 5; Junction City 13, Wichita 2; Derby 8, Cannons 5

7-19—Hutchinson at Newton; Cannons at Derby

7-20—Derby at Haysville (2)