Broncbusters’ Hearts Broken, Walked Off Twice by Trojans
Garden City Community College Baseball team hosted Southeast Community College in a double header on Tuesday, February 20, 2024 at Williams Stadium in Garden City, Kan. The Busters dropped both games to the Bobcats, game three 3 - 12 and game four 6 - 12. Photo credits; Adam Shrimplin, Shrimplin Photography
COLBY, Kan. – An extremely competitive series reached its conclusion on Saturday.
There wasn’t a whole ton separating Garden City and Colby throughout their four-game set. Colby had played eight games this season decided by two runs, losing seven of them.
Saturday, the experiences that they had playing close games paid off.
The Garden City Broncbusters were walked off twice by the Colby Trojans, dropping their final two games of the series at Young Memorial Field. The set was the first two one-run games of the Broncbusters’ 2024 season.
The bats didn’t show up for Garden City (3-24, 1-9 KJCCC) in the second consecutive game one.
The Broncbusters, who managed just one run on four hits in their seven-inning game on Friday, mustered just one run on two hits in their seven-inning affair Saturday.
Yet again, Garden City got to Colby’s (3-26, 1-13 KJCCC) pitching in game two. The Broncbusters drove in 10 runs in the series finale, their most in a conference game this season.
Colby’s walk-offs completed two come-from-behind victories. The Trojans out-scored the Broncbusters, 23-20, over the series.
Game 1: Colby, 2-1
Right-hander Tanner Dooley navigated through trouble throughout the early innings, leaving five on base in the first three.
Dooley loaded the bases in the second inning, dancing around it with a punchout to Alex Ellert and a 6-4-3 double play.
The Broncbusters found a way through right after. Nick Barber stole two bags, moving from first to third, and was brought home by Brett Barber.
Dooley would give up a run in the third but would settle back in immediately. The sophomore retired 11 of 12 batters from the third to seventh innings, only letting Gavin Shary reach via an error.
The righty fanned six over 6 ⅔ innings, retiring as many as seven consecutive batters.
The starter reached triple-digit pitches in the seventh inning, after a lengthy 12-pitch at-bat against Shary. The gas ran out of the tank following that.
Two pitches later, Colby shortstop Andrew Major laced a walk-off single through the middle. It was Major’s sixth hit against Garden City in the series.
Right-hander Ben Bohlmann received his first win as a Trojan, tossing two shutout innings out of the bullpen.
Game 2: Colby, 11-10
Garden City rallied for the second straight game, using two-run hits to power past Colby.
Conner Balmer and Mateo Terriquez led the charge, knocking in two runs each to boost the Broncbusters to a 4-1 lead.
Grant Ryan stepped up with runners in scoring position again, blasting a two-run single off the Colby pitcher. Garden City would score in four straight innings, leading 8-4 halfway through the game.
Garden City recorded 13 hits in their series finale, their most in a conference game this season.
Colby continued to chip away at the lead, hanging a crooked number in the eighth to take their first lead since the bottom of the first. Lucas Vincent’s double brought the game even, 8-8. One pitch later, Joe Gagnon would give the Trojans their first lead since the first inning, recording a sacrifice fly to score the go-ahead run.
The Broncbusters fought back with their backs to the wall. Caleb Metzen’s double to left field gave GCCC two in scoring position in the top of the ninth.
Metzen closed the series with seven hits, three doubles, three RBI, and three runs scored.
Brittain Brewer’s sacrifice fly would tie the game, setting up Conner Balmer to become the hero. Balmer smoked a two-strike pitch deep into the left-center field alley, recording a go-ahead triple to give the Busters a 10-9 lead.
Balmer recorded a career-high three RBI in game four, reaching all five times he came to the plate. The freshman was a home run shy of a cycle.
Colby wasted no time tying the game up. Roth knocked in Shary with his second sacrifice fly to tie the game at 10 after just five pitches in the ninth.
Three straight Trojan hitters would reach to close the game. J.J. Gines’ game-winning hit scored Major from second base to win it.
The loss was Garden City’s first blown save of the season.
