Pratt Takes Two From Broncbuster Baseball Team
Pratt, KS (westernkansasnews.com) For everything the Garden City Community College Baseball team has done right this season in jumping out to a 13-3 start Tuesday’s pair of losses at Pratt had to hurt.
A full two weeks after the Broncbusters swept a doubleheader with Pratt at Hays High School, Garden City was swept themselves 6-2 and 17-13.
Game One Highlights
Pratt which came into the doubleheader on a six game losing streak in conference and after being swept in four games with Hutch last weekend was aggressive and played small ball to manufacturer runs. Pratt combined for eight sac-bunts over the two games. That and timely hitting from Beavers third baseman Glen DesBoullions did in the Broncbusters.
DesBoullions came into Tuesday’s games with just three runs batted in the whole season. He added seven more against the Broncbusters. In the first game, DesBoullions singled in two to give the Beavers a 3-0 lead off Garden City starter Brendan Peitsmeyer. DesBouillons added a Sac-Fly in the fourth inning for Pratt’s biggest lead of the first game 4-0.
Garden City cut Pratt’s lead in half during a two run fifth sparked by second baseman Ted Ramirez’s two run double. The Broncbusters mustered only one base runner over the final two innings against Beaver’s closer Craig Smith as he shut down the door on any potential Garden City comeback.
Kane McCarthy started on the mound for the Beavers and improved to 2-0 going five innings and allowing two earned runs and five hits. Brendan Peitsmeyer took his first loss for the Broncbusters (2-1) in allowing five runs, three earned over 4 1/3 innings pitched.
Game Two Highlights
In game two the momentum changed in the fourth inning. Down 7-2, Garden City had the first five batters reach base on a leadoff walk to Cascio and four consecutive singles. Frankie Alvarez, Ted Ramirez and Kyle Lopez each added RBI singles off Pratt lefty reliever Dwight Rahming. After Rahming left the game, Garden City third baseman Cooper Bowermaster singled off Beavers reliever Hayden Brauser tying the game at seven.
The Broncbusters never were able to capitalize on their success in Pratt. Beavers rightfielder Julio Ibarra broke the 7-7 tie with a one out solo homer in the bottom of the 4th off Broncbuster reliever Michael Dzjurgot. Three batters later after two had reached on singles and one grounded out, Dzjurgot had Pratt’s Nick Griffin hit a grounder to short. Cascio picked the ball, but threw wildly in the dugout allowing two Beavers to score. The next batter DesBoullions added a two run single giving Pratt a 12-7 lead.
The Beavers built up their advantage to 17-8. Garden City added Ted Ramirez’s solo homer in the seventh for his 2nd home run of the season. Garden City added another four in the eighth before Logan Bertholf struck out Broncbuster rightfielder Brooks Benson to end the threat.
Garden City falls a game behind Hutch in the Jayhawk West at 5-3. The Broncbusters are back in action Saturday when they pay a visit to Colby to begin a four game series.
Coach Chris Finnegan’s Post-game comments
