BAT CATS 3, KANSAS CANNONS 2 — With the Great Bend Bat Cats season on life support, Carson Umphres rode to the rescue.

Great Bend native Umphres launched a 2-run game-winning homer for a shocking 3-2 Jayhawk Collegiate League baseball victory over the Kansas Cannons Sunday. 

"That's my best homer so far. It's cool because all these guys are rooting for me," Umphres said.

The Bat Cats (16-13, 15-11 Jayhawk) were down to their last out when Luke Nohinek doubled. Umphres had seen Aiden Nunez's fastball, so he guessed right on a slider.

"He threw two fastballs in a row, so I knew I'd get a breaking ball that last pitch," Umphres said. "The jump from high school to college pitching is big. The college pitchers can throw all their pitches for strikes." 

After back-to-back rainouts, Great Bend's offense was quiet Sunday.

Bat Cats pitchers Elijah Lang and Owen Kaiser stranded a dozen baserunners despite yielding 12 hits with two hit batters and a walk.

Jack Helberg's single scored Zach Makrewich after a second-inning double for a 1-0 Cannons lead. 

Umphres reached on an error and scored on Peanut Brazzle's third-inning double for a 1-1 tie.

Cooper Greene reached base on an error and scored on Owen Baxter's seventh-inning single for a 2-1 lead.

Clutch pitching by Lang and Kaiser limited the Cannons to 2-of-12 batting with runners in scoring position. Shortstop T.J. Shaw and second baseman Kyle Walker turned a sixth-inning double play. Walker relayed to catcher Nohinek to throw out Gustafson on an eighth-inning attempted double steal.

Kansas Cannons 010 000 100 — 2 12 1

GB Bat Cats 001 000 002 — 3 5 1

Furcht, Doty (5), Nunez (9) and Baxter. Lang, Kaiser (7) and Nohinek. W—Kaiser, 2-0. 2B—GB—Nohinek, Brazzle; KC—Munce, Makarewich. HR—GB—Umphres (3).

JAYHAWK COLLEGIATE LEAGUE 

x-clinched title

x-Hutchinson Monarchs 23-5 25-5

Derby Twins 17-10 20-10

Junction City Brigade 18-11 20-11

GB Bat Cats 15-11 16-13

Haysville Aviators 14-12 17-12

Rose Hill Wildcats 11-13 11-13  

Kansas Cannons 11-14 13-15-1 

Newton Rebels 6-21 7-23

Kingman Islanders 6-24 6-24

7-11—Monarchs 17, Kingman 4

7-12—Monarchs 8, Kingman 2; Brigade 11-14, Newton 2-4

7-13—Bat Cats 3, Cannons 2; Derby 7, Liberal 1

7-14—Bat Cats at Aviators; Brigade at Monarchs; Newton at Cannons

7-15—Aviators at Bat Cats; Monarchs at Brigade; Derby at Wildcats; Cannons at Newton

7-16—Bat Cats at Cannons (2); Wildcats at Derby; Brigade at Newton

7-17—Bat Cats  at Kingman; Monarchs at Wildcats; Derby at Newton; Cannons at Aviators

7-18—Kingman at Bat Cats; Wildcats at Monarchs; Newton at Derby; Aviators at Cannons