Griffons fall to River Bandits for first loss

KEARNEY, Mo. -- The River Bandits stole a page from Earl Weaver's book. Weaver, the former Baltimore Oriole manager of the '60s, '70s and '80s, built his great teams around the home run, always playing for the big inning. He once said, "The key to winning baseball games is pitching, fundamentals, and three-run homers." That's exactly the formula the Kearney River Bandits used for a 4-2 win over the Nevada Griffons on Thursday. A three-run homer in the sixth by River Bandit right fielder Noah Perry was the key blow that knocked the Griffons (2-1) from the ranks of the undefeated. Nevada struck first with a run in the opening inning. Centerfielder Josh Thomas singled, stole second, then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Kevin Bills, the Griffons' second-leading hitter at .333, singled to center to drive home Thomas. Behind Griffon starter Alex Kringen, a southpaw from Hutchinson Community College, the 1-0 score stood until the fourth inning. The River Bandits (3-3) pushed across a run to tie at 1-1. Perry's sixth-inning blast increased the lead to 4-1. The Griffons tallied a final run in the eighth when Eric Horstman, the team's leading hitter at .455, drew a walk, then went to second on a wild pitch. Thomas followed with a walk. A double steal put runners on second and third with one out. Horstman scored on left fielder Dwayne White's sacrifice fly. Kringen (0-1) suffered the loss. He went six innings, allowed eight hits and four runs, three earned. Derick Smith of Pittsburg State University pitched two scoreless innings in relief. Tim Gudex (1-0) picked up the win with six innings of four-hit pitching. He struck out seven, walked none and was charged with one run. Dominic Ramos earned the save. Horstman, Thomas, Bills and Greg Kish accounted for the Griffons' four-hit offense. The Griffons' rematch with the Springfield Slashers, scheduled for Friday night, was canceled due to unplayable field conditions at Springfield, Mo. Nevada resumes the season on Saturday with a non-league game against the Newton (Kan.) Rebels at 6 p.m. at Lyons Stadium.