Garden City falls to Hays in the first WAC tilt of the season
Garden City, KS – If one thing is clear after just one game of the 2023 season for the Garden City Lady Buffs it’s that the WAC won’t be handed over to Garden City after a 13-6 conference-opening loss to Hays on Tuesday.
The Buffaloes (2-1) coming into the game vs. Hays (1-0) were riding high after easily taking the conference last season with a 12-0 mark and outscoring the Lady Indians 15-6 in their previous three meetings. You can toss that out though after Hays doubled their total runs in just one game this season. The game didn’t look like it would go that way though in the beginning.
After scraping one run against Garden City starter Brie Manwarren (1-1) in the top of the first Hays would allow four Lady Buffs to be plated in the bottom of the first thanks to an error that would score two Buffs and an Angel Serrano RBI Single to make the game 4-1.
After that, the game would remain at that score until the top of the 4th when Garden City struggled to keep runners off the bases and collect the easy outs allowing Hay’s Aubree Thomas up to the plate with two runners on. With two outs Thomas would deposit a Brie Manwarren curveball over the centerfield fence to give Hays the 6-4 lead.
With Garden City reeling Brie Manwarren would answer at the plate in the bottom of the 4th with a 2-run single that ripped through the infield but unfortunately that would be the end of the offense for Garden City with Hays scoring three runs in the 5th, two runs in the 6th, and 2 more runs in the 7th to close the game with the 13-6 on seven unanswered runs.
The Lady Buffs were unable to limit the errors as they went for uncharacteristic season-high five miscues that aided six of the Lady Indian’s 13 total runs.
Shortstop Emma Ortiz was the only Lady Buffalo with more than 1 hit as she finished her day going 3-4 with a pair of runs. Brie Manwarren went 1-4 with 3 RBIs for Garden City.
The Lady Buffs are back in action at John Ford Field vs. the Goodland Cowgirls on Thursday, April 6th. You can listen to the doubleheader on 99.9 The Rock with game one starting at 4 pm.
