Broncbusters drop Region VI opener; bumped to loser's bracket

By Mike Pilosof

Photo by Adam Shrimplin

Dodge City, KS-For 5 ½ innings on Friday, the Broncbusters controlled the game. But one disastrous frame pushed Garden City to the brink of elimination. 

Barton scored nine runs in the fifth, Halie Stoneking and Kayden Smith each homered, and the Cougars topped the Broncbusters, 11-9 in the opening round of the Region VI Tournament at Legends Park. Garden City will now play Northwest Tech at 10 am on Saturday in the loser's bracket.

And to think how well this game began for Amy Schmeckpeper's team, especially after the Broncbusters spotted starter Lacey Kearsley a 3-0 lead in the first. After Barton got a run back in the bottom half, Alanna Neilsen's RBI single in the third made it 4-1.

The score stayed that way until the fifth when Smith smacked a two-run homer off Kearsley. Four batters later, Teegen Krol doubled home a pair, Adreanna Lance followed with an RBI base hit, Lexi Dryden smoked a line-drive run-scoring single; then came home after a Broncbuster miscue to give the Cougars a 10-4 advantage.

Garden City managed to get back in the game thanks to Kearsley's RBI double in the sixth, and Neilsen's solo shot to begin the seventh. After a walk and a single, Kayden Rodgers doubled home Arianna Griego and Elycia Johnson drilled a an extra base hit to the gap that plated two more to slice Barton's lead to 11-9. But despite bringing the tying run to the plate three straight times with nobody out, Garden City failed to produce. Nya Chacon flied out, Kearsley grounded out, and Alexis Maestretti lined out to end the game. 

Kearsley allowed five runs on seven hits including two homers for Garden City. Neilsen finished 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBI.