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Cange can for GCCC softball

Published 4/11/2009 in Sports : GCCC

By BRETT MARSHALL

bmarshall@gctelegram.com

After pitching the Garden City Lady Broncbusters to a 12-5 opening game victory over Jayhawk Conference Western Division-leading Butler County on Friday afternoon at Tangeman Sports Complex, the last thing on Taylor Cange's mind was coming back to pitch again in the second game.

But that's exactly what coach Phil Terpstra called on the Sunnyvale, Texas sophomore right-hander to do and she responded with 2 1/3 innings of one-run, two-hit relief and helped the Lady Busters take Game 2, 8-7, and complete a rare sweep of Butler.

The sweep allows GCCC (20-8, 6-2) to overtake the Grizzlies (23-13, 7-3) atop the Western Division standings. Because of weather-related postponements earlier, the teams will meet again this afternoon in El Dorado for a 1 p.m. start.

"(Butler) is a very good team, but I told the girls (Thursday) that if we play the way we are capable, we can beat anybody we play and today proved that," Terpstra said. "Our defense was a little sloppy at times and that was surprising since it's been one of our strengths all season. But we had key hits, and Taylor really did a great job of pitching today."

Cange, in fact, was good enough on a mild and slightly breezy day, that her twin victories improved her record to 8-6 after a sluggish 2-5 start.

"I was excited but nervous," Cange said about her first-game triumph. "My outside screwball was my best pitch. Getting those early runs (leading 9-2 after four innings) really made my job easier."

Cange's offensive support was powered by Blair Stalder, who had a two-run home run, a double, single, scored three runs and had a pair of RBIs. Kayla Jeanjaquet, had three hits, three runs and two RBIs while Alexa Harvey drove in two runs with a single and Tracey Stefanski tacked on three hits, a run scored and two RBIs.

It was Game 2, however, that provided the excitement and nerves of the day.

After taking what seemed like a comfortable 6-1 lead after a five-run fourth inning, the Lady Busters watched it disappear in the top of the fifth. Harvey was cruising on the mound along with a three-hitter before she ran into a Grizzly attack that hit five consecutive singles, followed by a sacrfice fly and then another run-scoring single scored another run and Butler had fought its way back into a 6-6 tie.

Terpstra brought Cange in to relieve Harvey despite she only had time to throw about 15 warmup pitches in the bullpen.

"I was much more nervous in the second game," Cange said. "They had gotten their timing on Alexa because she had been holding her own up until then."

The first batter Cange faced with two outs in the fifth was Sara Flaherty and the Butler freshman hit a screaming liner down the third baseline. Sarah Archuleta snared the line drive for the inning-ending out.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Busters scored two runs on a walk to Stefanski, a single by Dee Mobley, and a two-run single by Jeanjaquet to put the Busters up 8-6.

"It made breathing a little easier when I went back out," Cange said of going back out in the sixth. "I could take the (breathing) tubes out of my mouth."

Despite giving up a run and two hits in the sixth, Cange pitched her way out of a jam by getting two soft flyouts with runners on first and second to end the mini-rally by Butler and kept Garden City ahead by a run.

There was no dramatics to end the second game as Cange took down the Grizzlies in order, striking out one and getting the final two outs on fly balls to the infield.

Harvey led the 14-hit attack with three while Jeanjaquet, Archuleta, Stefanski and Mobley all had two apiece. Jeanjaquet had two RBIs to pace the Busters.

"We only beat Butler once last year so this feels even better," Cange said, marking the first time she has accomplished the feat in her nearly two full years at GCCC. "You just don't expect it but I'm really happy I could help the team today. I've got to call my mom, she'll be so excited."

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Game 1

Garden City 12, Butler County 5

Butler Co.	000	212	0	-- 5	9	1
Garden City	161	103	x	-- 12	16	2

Norris, Lehr (3) and New; Cange and Jeanjaquet. W -- Cange (7-6); L -- Norris. 2B -- GCCC,Jeanjaquet, Wall, Stalder, Stefanski. HR -- GCCC, Stalder.

Game 2

Garden City 8, Butler County 7

Butler Co.	100	051	0	-- 7	11	0
Garden City	001	520	x	-- 8	14	2

Carlson, Lehr (4) and Rorebeck; Harvey, Cange (5) and Courtois, Jeanjaquet (5). W -- Cange (8-6); L -- Lehr. 2B -- BCC, Martin; GCCC, Stefanski.

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