Broncbuster baseball splits first two with Colby
The GCCC Broncbusters split the first two games of a four game series with Colby, winning game one on Saturday, 6-4, but falling in game two, 13-10.
In the opener, the Broncbusters struggled to put the ball in play against Trojan starter Jeremy Gwinn, as Gwinn walked 4, hit 2 batters and struck out 5 in his 3-1/3 innings. Garden City had base runners in every inning, but couldn’t score until the third when they got their first two hits. Aeneas Roberson led off with a walk, Brooks Benson followed with a single and Mason Brown stroked a double to drive in the first run. That made the score 2-1, as the Trojans got single runs in the second and third innings. Colby scored two runs in the top of the fourth on a walk, a single and a double. The Trojans might have gotten more but on a comebacker to the mound, Harrison Stevens tried to score from third when the pitcher threw to second for a force out. Shortstop Conner Reynolds fired a perfect strike to Mason Brown for the tag out at the plate to end the inning. The Busters took advantage in the bottom of the fourth, tying the score with three runs on two walks and three hits. In the bottom of the 5th, C.J. Krainock belted a two-out homer, Alex Nielsen doubled and Roberson singled him home for the 6-4 margin. Reilly O’Rourke and Ray Monje set the Trojans down in order in the 6th and 7th innings for the win.
In the nightcap, the Broncbusters took advantage of 6 Trojan errors and several wild pitches to race to a 6-0 lead after three innings on only 4 hits. But Colby got 2 runs back thanks to a hit batter, a two-out error and a two-out double. Garden City’s C.J. Krainock and Alex Nielsen slugged back-to-back homers leading off the bottom of the 6th inning and the Broncbusters lead was six again, 8-2. But in the 8th inning, the wheels came off as the first 12 Trojan batters reached and 9 of them scored. Colby did it on three doubles, two bunt singles, two walks, a hit batter and an error to lead 11-8 heading into the bottom of the 8th. Krainock and Nielsen struck again in the bottom of the inning, with Krainock drawing a leadoff walk and Nielsen clubbing a 2-run homer to make it 11-10. Colby would load the bases in the top of the 9th on a walk, an error and another walk before a single by Garrett Kirkwood and a sacrifice fly by Marvin Malone plated two insurance runs. The Broncbusters got two on in the bottom of the 9th, but left them stranded.
Garden City and Colby are now both 4-2 in the Jayhawk Conference and will conclude their series with a doubleheader Sunday at Williams Stadium. First pitch is at 1:00 pm, with the pregame starting at 12:45 on 99.9 ESPN.
