NBC champs Monarchs down Bat Cats

Team Photo of the Bat Cats - photo by Lori Farmer

Spt_LF_Great Bend Bat Cats.jpg — Team Photo of the Bat Cats - photo by Lori Farmer

HUTCHINSON — When the Great Bat Cats stranded five of eight baserunners in the first three innings, the Hutchinson Monarchs took advantage. The defending NBC World Series champions raced past the Bat Cats 12-3 in Saturday's Jayhawk Collegiate baseball game.

Hutchinson (16-7, 5-2 Jayhawk) drops the Bat Cats to 15-9, 4-3 Jayhawk.

Jhett Creel ripped a 2-run homer and Jesse Ponce raced home on a wild pitch for three third-inning Bat Cat runs.

With the bases loaded, Creel, Anthony Capobianco and Kyle Walker were retired in the first inning. With two runners on base, Christian Ammann and Kade Goeke struck out in the third inning. Ammann and Goeke were retired in the fifth inning with two runners on base.

Hutchinson's Jaden Gustafson ended the 2-game series 6-for-8 with a trio of hits in both games. The Monarchs scored three runs in the first and fourth innings off starter D.J. Cavazos (1-1) and added four sixth-inning runs.

Hutchinson's Gustafson, Colin Cymbalista and Sam Wiede delivered first-inning RBIs. Camden Johnson ripped a 2-run double after back-to-back fourth-inning Bat Cat errors. Wiese hit a 2-run triple and Zerick Warren followed with a sixth-inning sacrifice fly. Warren delivered a 2-run eighth-inning double.

Monarch reliever Derick Johnson (1-0, 3.08 ERA) threw four shutout innings with five strikeouts.

GB Bat Cats 003 000 000 — 3 5 3

Hutchinson 300 304 02x — 12 10 2

Cavazos, Sowell (4), Volski (6) and Creel. Edge, Johnson (4), Camden Cornelius (8) and W —Johnson, 1-0. L —Cavazos 1-1. 2B —H —Johnson, Gustafson, Warren, Cymbalista. 3B —H —Wiese. HR —GB —Creel.

JAYHAWK COLLEGIATE

2ND HALF/OVERALL

Derby Twins 6-1 19-7

Hutchinson Monarchs 7-2 18-7

Wichita Dirtbags 4-2 6-12

Kansas Cannons 5-3 18-8

GB Bat Cats 4-3 16-9

Kingman Islanders 2-3 8-12