Broncbuster baseball swept in conference opener
Hutchinson, Kan. (westernkansasnews.com)–It was a tough day on Wednesday for the Garden City Broncbuster baseball team, as they traveled to Hutchinson to face the Blue Dragons in their conference opener. It would be a sweep as Hutch won game 1 10-0 in five innings, and took the finale 6-1.
In game 1, Hutchinson would get back to back homers in their four-run first inning. They added two runs in the second and finished the game off with a four-run fifth inning for the run rule win. Garden City was only able to get one base runner, and that came on a first inning single by Brett Barber. Jace Reid took the loss, going two-plus innings, allowing six runs, five earned, on four hits. Kaden Johnson allowed a run in two innings on one hit and Jonah Candelaria allowed three runs in 2/3 of an inning. Ethan Giesbrecht picked up the complete game win for the Blue Dragons, as he struck out seven in five innings.
While the Broncbusters dropped the second game, they were more competitive in the game, and could only push across one run. They trailed 1-0 after the first three innings, before Hutchinson took advantage of a throwing error in a four-run fourth that opened the game up. Garden City would plate a run in the seventh on a RBI groundout by Nick Barber that scored Wyatt Anderson. The Blue Dragons added a run in the eighth, and held off the Broncbusters, who threatened with the bases loaded in the ninth for the 6-1 win. Andrew Bowman went five innings, giving up five runs, one earned, on five hits with three strikeouts. Zevin Littell went the final three innings, scattering just two hits with an earned run. Grant Ryan and Wyatt Anderson had two hits apiece, as the Busters outhit Hutchinson 9-7. Sam Ojeda got the win for Hutch, going five scoreless innings and giving up six hits.
Garden City is 2-17 overall, 0-2 in Jayhawk Conference play, as they will host Hutchinson on Saturday for games three and four of the series. The Blue Dragons are 14-4 overall and 2-0 in conference play.
