Barber Brothers and Metzen Shine Despite Broncbusters’ Defeats to Seward County
Garden City Community College Baseball team hosted Butler Community College in a double header on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at Williams Stadium in Garden City, Kan. The Busters dropped the final two games of the series to the Grizzlies, game three 8 - 12 and game four 6 - 20. Photo credits Adam Shrimplin, Shrimplin Photography
GARDEN CITY, Kan. – The Garden City Broncbusters came up short in their series finale with the Seward County Saints, losing 15-6 and 14-3 in their set at Williams Stadium.
Garden City (5-34, 1-19 KJCCC) got big performances from the heart of their lineup. Nick Barber, Brett Barber, and Caleb Metzen all had multi-hit performances to highlight the Broncbusters.
Seward County (22-21, 10-10 KJCCC) just had too much extra-base hit prowess. The Saints, who lead the Kansas Jayhawk Conference in doubles, recorded 11 over the two games at Williams.
SCCC, who has now recorded 103 doubles this season, did not trail in either of the games on Saturday.
Garden City’s next KJCCC series will start on Thursday afternoon against the Dodge City Conquistadors. The first pitch for game one is scheduled for 4:00 PM, with game two to follow.
GAME 1: Seward County, 15-6
Garden City showed up with energy in game one, rallying early, and playing Seward County tough until the final inning.
The Broncbusters’ first five runs were generated from the top of their lineup, in some of the most exciting ways in baseball.
Brett Barber, who stole a team-most 29 bags as a Freshman, stole home plate in the bottom of the first.
The sophomore took a five-step lead down the third base line, sliding head-first into home plate before the throw from Saints’ starter, T.J. Newman.
A pair of two-run innings in the third and fourth overturned a three-run lead. Metzen launched his second home run against Seward County, a two-run blast to deep right-center field to pull the lead to 4-3.
GCCC would concede a run in the top of the fourth, but tie the game for the first time since the first inning right after. Brett Barber roped a two-run double down the left field line, tying the game at five.
Game three was Barber’s fourth multi-RBI game of the season.
The Saints pulled away in the seventh, manufacturing an eight-run inning with five hits against the Broncbusters’ bullpen.
GAME 2: Seward County, 14-3 (7)
Seward County’s bats came out on fire in the early innings, leaving no room for doubt in the series finale.
The Saints scored the first 14 runs of the game, sparked by shortstop Nathan Hopkins and designated hitter Kotaro Wakui. The freshmen each recorded four RBI in game four.
The two both had their best series of the season. Hopkins finished with 10 runs batted in, and Wakui delivered 12.
Garden City’s runs, again, came from Metzen and Brett Barber.
Metzen got the Broncbusters on the board with a line-drive home run over the left field wall, scoring two in the bottom of the fourth. It was Metzen’s fourth home run of his career, all have come against Seward County.
Metzen finished 6-for-11 with two doubles, three home runs, and seven RBI in the four-game set.
Brett Barber would drive in Nick Barber in the following inning, punching an opposite-field double down the right-field line. Brett is now up to five doubles this season.
Nick Barber also really impressed in the two games. The Broncbusters’ center fielder recorded five hits in the two games on Saturday, scoring twice.
The Broncbusters recorded six hits in the series finale.
