Buffalo baseball back to .500 after sweeping TMP-Marian
Garden City, Kan. (westernkansasnews.com)–It wasn’t easy at times on Tuesday for the Garden City baseball team, as they played host the TMP-Marian Monarchs. Multiple times, the Buffaloes had to rally in game one, and they did just that. After the day finished, Garden City picked up a pair of wins against the Monarchs 9-8 in game one and 3-0 in the finale.
After Garden City scored a run in the first inning, TMP-Marian answered back with a run in the second to tie the game at one. The Monarchs would take the lead in the third inning to push their lead to 2-1, and then added four in the fourth to lead 5-1. However, the Buffaloes would make a surge. After plating one in the fourth the Buffs tied the game in the fifth inning at five, thanks to Raymond Urrutia’s sacrifice fly that scored Eric Heiman from third. Thomas Moore Prep would take advantage of a bases loaded situation in the sixth inning. Kameron Schmidt would hit a bases-clearing rbi double to make it 8-5 Monarchs. Garden City rallied, and rallied big. With three hits in the inning, the Buffs, drove in two runs to pull to within 8-7. Griffin Brunson hit a ground ball that would be bobbled by TMP, as two runs scored to make it 9-8 Garden City. The Monarchs threatened with runners in scoring position in the seventh, but the Buffs battle out of the jam to win 9-8. Colton Snodgrass went 3 1/3 innings on the hill, allowing five runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. Daven Acker picked up the win in relief for Garden City, lasting the final 1 2/3 innings, despite giving up two hits. Kameron Schmidt took the loss for the TMP, giving up nine runs, six earned in 5 1/3 innings. The Monarchs outhit Garden City 12-8, and also had four errors to the Buffs three.
Game two was all about the small ball. After a scoreless first inning, Garden City struck in the second inning on a two-out rbi single by Daven Acker that scored Eden Arreola. Arreola would score again in the fourth inning on an rbi single by Jacob Rivas to make it 2-0. Rivas eventually scored on a throwing error by TMP to make it 3-0. Starter Jesse Ruiz was dominant on the mound for the Buffaloes. Despite the Monarchs leaving at least two runners on in four of the seven innings, it felt as though Garden City was never threatened. Ruiz would go 6 1/3 scoreless innings, scattering four hits and had three strikeouts. With the tying run at the plate and one out in the seventh, Acker came in and recorded the final two outs of the game to get the save, and assured the Buffaloes a 3-3 record. Ruiz got the win, and coach Bill Wilson mentioned after the game that he will be having shoulder surgery on Friday, and could miss the remainder of the season. Liam Stults took the loss for Thomas Moore Prep-Marian, as he went six innings, giving up three runs on four hits and had four strikeouts. Both teams had four hits and two errors in game two.
Garden City is 3-3 on the year, and will travel to Wichita North on Friday, while TMP-Marian drops to 4-2 on the season.
Coach Bill Wilson Postgame
