Broncbusters Pummeled by Beavers in Series Opener

GARDEN CITY, Kan. – A loud wake-up call.

The Broncbusters came into Thursday’s double-header with confidence pitching-wise, rewarded for pounding the strike zone against Western Nebraska. They couldn’t reap the same rewards in their return to conference play.

The Garden City Broncbusters dropped both of their games at Williams Stadium against the Pratt Beavers, losing 9-2 and 22-6. GCCC was run-ruled in the finale, only getting to play eight innings.

Garden City’s (5-28, 1-13 KJCCC) bats didn’t wake up until it was too late in game one. The Broncbusters never led in the early game, with catcher Juan Rodriguez and head coach Josh Oller ejected in the middle innings.

Pratt (13-24, 2-16 KJCCC) ended a losing streak that dated back to early March with their wins. The Beavers, who were held to just two runs in their last series, hung six different crooked numbers across Thursday’s wins.

The series shifts to Pratt for games three and four, with game three opening at 1:00 P.M.

Game 1: Pratt, 9-2

Garden City was down big before they came to bat, with Pratt starting strong on both sides in the early innings to cement a first conference win of the season.

The Beavers plated four runs across the top of the first inning. Freshman Skylar Chavez’ three-run single put the Broncbusters into a big early hole, 4-0.

Beavers’ starter Joel Doelitsch commanded the strike zone early. The Busters were held to just one hit their first time through their order.

Garden City’s opener Andrew Bowman did his best to dance through trouble, but couldn’t do enough against Pratt’s bats. Third baseman Jaden Flores skied a solo home run to make it an 8-0 Beavers’ lead.

The Broncbusters’ lone runs came across in the fifth. Back-to-back extra-base hits from Brittain Brewer and Caleb Metzen, followed up by a Conner Balmer RBI groundout, would bleed some life into GCCC.

Brewer, who doubled and scored in the fifth, recorded a career-high three hits in the losing effort.

Pratt tacked on their second home run on a Drew Bugner solo home run in the top of the seventh.

Game 2: Pratt, 22-6 (8)

A positive offensive start came to a screeching halt.

Garden City took its first lead in the series in the second inning, hanging four runs on Beavers’ starter Matthew St. Pe.

Josh Miller and Nick Barber started the scoring, capitalizing off bases-loaded opportunities with an RBI single and sac fly, respectively.

Two batters later, Brett Barber blew the game open. The Sophomore skied a triple into the left-center field alley, plating two more to boost Garden City’s lead to four.

He would finish two-for-four in game two, also kickstarting Garden City’s second big rally.

Pratt would take a brief 5-4 lead, but the Broncbusters rallied around a Barber one-out double. Kaelan Bing and Dawson Stutz would record a pair of base knocks to put Garden City back in front, 6-5, after five.

Southpaw starter Matthew Lorencz completed five full innings, exiting in line for a second win in as many starts. The Broncbusters’ bullpen failed to back him up from there.

Pratt soared late, scoring six runs in the sixth inning, three more in the seventh, and hanging eight in the top of the eighth.

Harris Robinson and Dante Phillip-Neri were the only two Garden City relievers to record scoreless outings on Thursday.

Pratt scored 22 runs on 16 hits, breaking their previous season-high of 20 runs against Fort Scott.