Broncbusters Baseball Splits Series with Colby
Colby, KS (westernkansasnews.com) The Garden City Baseball team (14-9, 2-2) used the magic of two to win their first game with Colby 10-4 at Young Memorial Field. In game two Colby (9-9, 2-2) pitched a shutout 5-0 and held GCCC without a run for the first time this year to split their four game series opening up the conference season.
Game One Highlights
It was the Johnny Podsednik show in the first game. He came through with a pair of two out RBI base hits one in the first on a RBI single to left in making it a 2-0 lead for Garden and the other in the third on a two run double giving the Broncbusters a 4-0 lead. The 3 RBIs was one shy of his season total coming into the game. Both run producing hits came off Colby starting pitcher Bryce Fraser (2-2).
Fraser went 5 1/3 innings pitched, gave up 12 hits and seven earned runs. He only allowed one of the Trojans 29 walks during the series.
Ryder Yakel the freshman star pitcher from Lakin improved his record to 3-0 going the distance for GCCC’s second complete game of the series. Yakel scattered seven hits over seven innings for the complete game. He allowed two unearned runs in the third when a fielding error occurred at second on a grounder up the middle by Drake Kirkwood.
The next batter Garrett Kirkwood doubled to the left-center power gap bringing in two and cutting Garden City’s lead to 4-2.
Connor Reynolds had the answer for Garden in re-establishing their four run lead at 6-2 with a two run double off Fraser. Yakel in the bottom of the fourth served up Adam Cook’s fourth homer of the year for the Trojans making it 6-3 Garden.
After that Colby scratch for a seven inning run, while Garden scored four unanswered. Jesse Gonzales homered for the first time this year and fourth of his collegiate career in the fifth off Fraser. Alex Nielsen added a RBI single off Trojan reliever Nykolas Crumrine and Aeneas Roberson knocked in two off Shane Hoyer in the seventh.
Garden City had two run innings in the first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth while only failing to score in the second and seventh.
Game Two Highlights
Starting pitcher Greg Leban walked one Broncbuster in each inning the first through the fifth and two in the sixth, but Garden could not capitalize. GCCC left the bases loaded in the fifth when Alex Nielsen struck and out and two on in the sixth when three straight were retired by reliever Carlos Amador after the first two batters reached.
Colby was able to get enough offense to tag Broncbuster starting pitcher Kendrick Catron with the loss. Catron allowed back-to-back singles in leading off the bottom of the first and then Garrett Kirkwood’s Sac bunt brought in leadoff batter Brian Granton.
Garden flashed the leather with two great defensive plays. First on a fly ball to right Clint Allen threw out Adam Cook attempting to score on Ryley Humrighouse’s fly ball to right and Aeneas Roberson made a diving catch in rightcenter robbing Granton of potentially a two run double and a 3-0 lead.
Humrighouse would blooped a ball to rightcenter in the fourth and picking up the two runs Colby failed to score in the second and it gave the Trojans a three run lead at 3-0.
Christian Roduner spanked a homer to left in the eight off Garden City reliever Quinton Bonnell to cap off the scoring. For Roduner it was his second homer of the year and for the Trojans their second homer of the series.
GCCC Post-game Head Coach Chris Finnegan
The team that scored won each game in the series. There were no lead changes over the four games.
Garden City is back at home next Saturday to host a four game series with Cloud County. The Thunderbirds were swept in four games this weekend by Dodge City.
