WICHITA — The Great Bend Bat Cats (24-10) open the NBC World Series at 6 p.m. Friday against Santa Barbara Foresters at Wichita State.
Santa Barbara has beaten the Bat Cats 6-1 and 5-4 in prior NBC tournaments.
For updates, go to gbtribune.com.
The defending NBC champion Hutchinson Monarchs were one out away for an opening victory when the Lonestar (Austin, Texas) Baseball Club rallied for a 6-5 victory Thursday.
A.J. Mustow's RBI single gave the Monarchs a 5-4 lead in the 10th inning.
David Fluitt's single scored Ben Merriman with the game-winning run.
Braden Rogers singled home Nico Reudas after a 2-out double for a 5-5 tie. The throw by rightfielder Brice Waller beat Reudas to home, but catcher Dalton Sabathe dropped the baseball on the play.
Jackson Schanuel homered for a 1-0 Monarch lead,
D.J. Pinkerton homered before Lonestar's Sage Sanders delivered an RBI single and Rogers followed with a 2-run double for a 4-1 sixth-inning lead.
Hutchinson answered with a 3-run seventh inning. Drew Bugner hit an RBI groundout. Barton Cougar J.J. Spafford added an RBI double, and Jaden Gustafson tied the game 4-4 with a sacrifice fly.
Hutchinson's Brice Wallar had three hits, Lonestar's Rogers, Pinkerton and Ryley Leininger each delivered two hits.
The Monarchs (23-10) play TPA Texas at 6 p.m. Saturday.
NBC POOLS
POOL A—Lonestar Baseball 1-0, Seattle Blackfins, TPA Texas, Hutchinson Monarchs 0-1
POOL B—Austin Gold Sox 1-0, Junction City Brigade, Oklahoma Lookouts, Seattle Cheney Studs 0-1
POOL C—Great Bend Bat Cats, Santa Barbara Foresters, Liberal Bee Jays, BTL Hornets
POOL D—Hays Larks, San Diego Stars, Alaska Goldpanners vs Tess’s Army
NBC WORLD SERIES
6-23—Lonestar Baseball 6, Hutchinson Monarchs 5; Austin Gold Sox 10, Seattle Cheney Studs 7
6-24—Seattle Blackfins 6, TPA Texas 5 (8TH); 3 p.m.—Between the Lines Hornets vs Liberal Bee Jays; 6 p.m.—Great Bend Bat Cats vs Santa Barbara Foresters; 8:30 p.m.—Junction City Brigade vs Oklahoma Lookouts
6-25—12—Hays Larks vs San Diego Stars; 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 a.m.—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
