GREAT BEND, Kan. — The Hutchinson Monarchs continued their dominant summer with an emphatic 11-1 win over the Great Bend Bat Cats in a Jayhawk Collegiate League game Thursday night at Al Burns Memorial Field.
Leading 11-1 in the top of the sixth inning, play was halted due to inclement weather and never resumed, giving Hutchinson (23-5) the win and keeping the Monarchs firmly atop the Jayhawk Collegiate League standings. Hutchinson has a 4.5 game lead over the Derby Twins with six games remaining in the regular season.
Hutchinson wasted no time getting on the board, scoring in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly from Joey Senstock to bring home JJ Spafford. After stranding the bases loaded in the second, the Monarchs broke the game wide open with a two-out rally in the third. Jackson Legg tripled and scored on a single by Jake Knox before Spafford delivered a two-run double to make it 4-0.
The Monarchs piled on in the fourth. Tyson Vassart plated two more with a double to center, and Legg added another two-RBI knock — this time a double — to stretch the lead to 8-0. Spafford capped the six-run inning with a two-run single that became three runs scored after a fielding error.
Spafford finished the night 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Jeter Worthley also tallied three hits going 3 for 3 and an RBI as part of Hutchinson’s 14-hit attack.
On the mound, Pryce Bender earned the win with 4.1 innings of one-run ball, striking out three while working around four walks. Daegan Vinduska got the final two outs of the fifth to preserve the 10-run cushion.
Great Bend (15-12) managed just one run and struck out four times. The Bat Cats avoided the shutout in the fifth on a groundout by Luke Nohinek.
Hutchinson will travel to Kingman tonight to take on the Islanders at Islander park before returning to Hobart-Detter on Saturday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.