GREAT BEND – Garrett Wellbrock went the distance on the mound and the Hays Eagles Senior American Legion scored two runs in bottom of the sixth inning to edge the Great Bend Chiefs 3-1 in the Zone 3 Tournament at Lawson-Biggs Field on the Barton Community College campus Tuesday night. The Eagles (18-4) won their 11th straight and advanced to Wednesday night’s finals.
After Great Bend (16-8) tied the game with a run in the top of the sixth, the Eagles answered with two in the bottom of the inning. Carson Spray and Remington both singled to start the decisive frame. Jack Fields then drew a walk to load the bases. Following a force out at the plate on a grounder to first, Gage Porter was hit by a pitch to put the Eagles ahead for good. Ben Krannawitter followed with a bases-loaded walk to drive in the second run.
Brad Beck led off the seventh with a bunt single but Wellbrock struck out the next three batters to end the game.
Porter scored the Eagles first run in the fifth when Wellbrock reached on a throwing error. Great Bend took advantage of on of Hays' four errors and scored on a two-out single in the top of the sixth.
Wellbrock (6-2) scattered five hits and didn’t allow an earned run while striking out eight and walking only one in the complete game victory.
CHIEFS RALLY
Great Bend rallied after blowing an 8-0 lead to beat Newton (11-12) 12-11 in Tuesday’s first game. The Chiefs scored eight in the second but the Knights rallied with two in the third, three in the fourth, four in the fifth and two in the sixth to take an 11-8 lead. The Chiefs scored two in the bottom of the sixth then scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to win it. MJ Aylward’s single to center scored Stefan Spray with the game winner.
UP NEXT
Great Bend and Newton play an elimination game at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday. The winner then takes on Hays around 7:30 p.m.