DERBY 13, BAT CATS 9 — The good news? The Great Bend Bat Cats played error-free baseball.
However, Great Bend's typically reliable pitching collapsed in a nightmarish 13-9 Jayhawk Collegiate League setback Saturday. The Bat Cats led 8-5 after 31/2 innings.
The Bat Cats delivered Home Run Derby with 5-homer performance. Peanut Brazzle and Andrugh Yee each hit a pair of round trippers. Kyle Walker homered.
Derby outscored Great Bend 8-1 in the final 51/2 innings. Bat Cat pitchers yielded 12 earned runs, walked 10 batters and hit a trio of batters.
Derby (17-7, 15-7 Jayhawk) moves 11/2 games ahead of the Bat Cats (14-10, 13-8 Jayhawk). Great Bend is 1-5 against the top two Jayhawk teams Hutchinson (18-5, 16-5 Jayhawk) and Derby.
After a 9-9 tie in the sixth inning, Brazzle doubled and Walker walked. The rally fizzled when Brazzle was thrown out stealing. The Bat Cats loaded the bases when T.J. Shaw singled and Yee walked, but Logan Ranen struck out with the bases loaded.
The bases were loaded in the seventh inning when reliever Ryan Koob Walker and Shaw struck out.
Brazzle and Walker started the game with back-to-back homers. Brazzle batted 4-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. Yee drove in three runs with three hits and two runs scored.
Derby's Cade Sutherland doubled, homered and drove in three runs. Noah Allison batted 4-for-4 with a homer, three RBI and three runs scored.
GB Bat Cats 302 310 000 — 9 15 0
Derby Twins 401 222 11x — 13 14 4
Annin, Stuhlsatz (4), Kaiser (7) and Nohinek. Morrison, Enders (5), Koob (7), Walters (9) and Driskoll. W—Enders, 3-2. L—Stuhlsatz. 2B—GB—Brazzle, Shaw, Yee; D—Owens. HR—GB—Brazzle 2 (4, 5), Yee 2 (2, 3), Walker (1); D—Sutherland, Allison.
JAYHAWK COLLEGIATE LEAGUE
Hutchinson Monarchs 16-5 18-5
Derby Twins 15-7 17-7
GB Bat Cats 13-8 14-10
Haysville Aviators 14-8 17-8
Junction City Brigade 11-10 13-10
Kansas Cannons 10-12 12-12-1
Rose Hill Wildcats 10-12 10-12
Kingman Islanders 5-18 5-18
Newton Rebels 4-17 5-18
7-3—Derby 8, Bat Cats 4; Aviators 7, Newton 3; Wildcats 2, Kingman 1
7-5—Derby 13, Bat Cats 9; Monarchs 16, Kingman 6; Brigade 9, Cannons 0
7-6—Brigade at Bat Cats; Aviators at Monarchs
7-7—Bat Cats at Brigade; Derby at Kingman; Cannons at Dodge City