Garden City edges Dodge City on the diamond to complete sweep

DODGE CITY, Kan. — The Garden City Buffaloes completed the sweep of their rival, Dodge City on Tuesday evening at Demon Field by winning 8-7. This was the second game between the two teams in a home-and-home series after Garden City won 2-1 on April 2 at Clint Lightner Field.

Garden City needed just those two runs back on the second to get the win, but they would need much more than that on Tuesday. The Buffaloes were in business early on after a 2-out RBI single from Easton Lager put GC up 1-0 in the first.

Cooper Thayer was dominant in the early innings for Garden City on the mound. After allowing a lead-off single by Adrian Mendoza, Thayer retired the next nine Dodge City batters in order.

The Buffaloes were able to scrap two more runs across in the third inning after two walks by Red Demon pitcher Noah Sowers. Dodge City also committed an error in the inning and a few passed balls brought home the two runs.

Garden City added two more runs in the fourth inning to go up 5-0 on an RBI single from Lager and after four more Dodge City walks. Sowers was relieved in that inning and was replaced by Matt Friess.

After Thayer walked Cody Ibarra to lead off the home half of the fourth, Dodge City felt a little bit of momentum in their favor. Sowers delivered a one-out RBI double to center to score Ibarra from second to break the shutout.

The Red Demons added three more in the bottom of the fifth inning to pull within one, 5-4. Just as Dodge City had grabbed all of the momentum and pulled within one, Garden City had an answer in the sixth. Easton Lager provided an RBI double to deep right field that scored Thayer from second. Elier Arreola drew a one-out walk and then an RBI single from Rawley Davidson and an errant throw brought in two runs on the play to push the Buffs lead to four, 8-4.

Dodge City grabbed two more in the bottom of the sixth to pull within one, but a questionable dropped third strike ended the inning with the tying run 90 feet away. The Red Demons grabbed another run in the bottom of the seventh, but a ground out to second ended the game once again with the tying run stranded at third.

Garden City improves to 10-4 overall and 4-4 in WAC play, while Dodge City falls to 9-5 and 1-5.

The Buffaloes will travel to Wichita on Friday for a doubleheader with the North Redskins, while the Red Demons will head to Great Bend for a single game against the Panthers.

Garden City – 102 203 0 — 8 5 2

Dodge City – 000 132 1 — 7 7 4

W: Thayer. L: Sowers. HR: None.