Story by Wyatt Ebersole
The Grizzlies put up an impressive fight, but ultimately fell to the #2 ranked Johnson County Cavaliers 12-10 on Thursday afternoon in Wichita. The loss for the Grizzlies drops them into the loser's bracket of the tournament, while Johnson moves into the winner's bracket semi-final.
Brock Lummus cracked open the scoring in the game early when he hit a line-drive triple to centerfield that brought two runners' home and gave the Grizzlies an early 2-0 advantage. Cole Murrell extended the lead later in the inning with an RBI single through the right side, pushing the Grizzly lead up to 3-0 through the top of the first. Johnson climbed back within one run after a sacrifice fly in the first and an RBI single in the third, but the Grizzlies found answers in the fourth. Hayden Dyer hit a bases-loaded, two-RBI single to left to give the Grizzlies a 5-2 lead, and then after the bases were reloaded, Brock Lummus smacked a single up the middle to bring two more runners in and make it a 7-2 Grizzly lead against the #2 ranked Johnson County. The Cavs weren't going anywhere, as they very quickly found two runs in their half of the fourth to cut the lead back down to 7-4. The Grizzlies again found answers to reextend their lead as Brock Toothaker hit a solo home run to left center and then Garrett Fager brought another run in with an RBI single, making it a 9-4 Grizzly advantage. Johnson again rallied back, scoring three runs in the fifth to close the gap and make it a 9-7 game through five innings. In the sixth, Anibal Rivera was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring another run in and make it 10-7, but the Cavalier offense exploded in the sixth, scoring four runs on three hits to jump in front 11-10 after six innings. The Cavs added an insurance run in the seventh on a solo home run, but they ultimately didn't need it, as the Cavalier pitching held strong the rest of the game, shutting the Grizzlies out across the final three innings to take the win, 12-10.
Alan Benhardt finished a terrific 3-4 with two runs scored.
Lummus was 2-4 at the plate with four RBI.
The Grizzlies play KCK tomorrow at 10am in a win-or-go-home game to try and preserve their season.
