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Broncbuster baseball splits twinbill with Colby; still tied atop Western Division
Published 4/20/2009 in Sports : GCCC
By MIKE KESSINGER
mkessinger@gctelegram.com
COLBY — All a team needs sometimes is one big something.
Whether it be a single hit, home run, steal, defensive stop or whatever, all it takes is a spark and a team can carry the momentum a long way. The Garden City Community College baseball team found it in the fourth inning of its second game against Colby on Sunday, propelling the Broncbusters to a 12-10 win. The something Garden City used was a nine-run outburst through the fourth that helped wipe away the bitter taste of an 11-6 loss in the first game. It also helps keep the Broncbusters (34-14, 17-9) tied with Colby atop the Jayhawk Conference Western Division standings. The Busters and Trojans were to have finished their four-game series today in a doubleheader that was to start at 1 p.m. in Colby.
"We got down early, but we had that one big inning," the Busters' Ben Warner said of Game 2. "Coach (Chris Finnegan) came in before the inning, gave us a little pep talk and that one inning kind of propelled us to the win."
Garden City had plenty of standout performances in the second game, particularly on the offensive side, and no one stood out more than Warner. The centerfielder went 5-for-5 in the win, with two home runs and three RBIs included in his stat line. His first home run came in the Busters' big fourth inning as he followed Erik Mattingly, who led off the inning with a home run. Following a walk to Andrew Phelan, Tony DeCarlo unloaded a two-run home run. Garden City sent 14 batters to the plate in the fourth. It was a stretch that included a Mattingly double the second time he came to bat in the inning and a triple by C.J. Gillman. Warner singled his second time.
"That's a special inning," said Warner, whose two-home run, five-hit game was a first for him. "Nine runs, that's pretty tough. You don't see that very often. That wind made it hard on pitching all day, it was kind of easy to give up runs, so we knew that lead wouldn't be enough. We had to keep scratching to stay in the lead, pretty much."
Colby led 5-1 before the Busters barrage, and the Trojans answered in their half of the fourth with four runs to pull within 10-9. Warner finished the game by getting the final two RBIs for Garden City with his solo shot in the sixth, then a single in the seventh that scored Gillman. Before the Busters big inning, the first inning, and then leading off the second, didn't start well for Garden City. Colby starter Josh Edwards struck out the first four batters he faced before Mattingly singled.
Busters' relievers Joemar Melendez and Heath Wyatt helped prevent any late rally by Colby as the strong wind blew out toward the fences. The wind conditions going out is something Finnegan said he has never dealt with in Colby during his five years at Garden City.
"Coming up here is tough, this is a tough place to play," Finnegan said. "This is the first time I've ever been up here in five years the wind's been blowing out. I think this is the first time we've ever won here since I've been here."
In the final 3 2/3 innings, Melendez and Wyatt followed starter Nate Van Bibber to combine to give up one run on three hits. Van Bibber picked up the win. He went 3 1/3 innings, giving up eight earned runs on nine hits, one walk and five strikeouts.
In the first game, the Busters started off strong against Colby ace Mark Phillips. Garden City scored three run in the first off Phillips including a M.J. Sartin two-run home run. A five-run second inning by Colby was a big enough headache from which the Busters never recovered. Garden City did pull within 6-5 in the fifth, but a five-run sixth by Colby helped the Trojans pad their lead.
Hayden Daugherty took the loss for Garden City. He worked four innings, giving up six runs on seven hits. MIke Sutton and Reese McGraw followed Daugherty on the mound and both relievers struggled.
"Hayden did what he could do," Finnegan said. "He did what he could do. He didn't have very good stuff, he was up in the zone, all over the place. (Sutton) came in and did a fine job, but his pitch selection in the second inning was not very good, then Reese did not do his job. He's suppose to come in and shut the door to minimize and he just didn't do it."
Garden City and Colby entered today's doubleheader a game ahead of Hutchinson, who was swept by Seward County on Sunday.
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Game 1
Colby 11, GCCC 6
GCCC 300 110 1 -- 6 9 1
Colby 050 105 x -- 11 11 0
Daugherty, Sutton (5), McGraw (6) and Soulia; Phillips and Sim. W -- Phillips. L -- Daugherty. 2B -- GCCC, Via, Schramm, Soulia, Mattingly; Colby, Chatwood, Smith. 3B -- Colby, Ziegler. HR -- GCCC, Sartin; Colby, Chatwood, Hornstra.
Game 2
GCCC 12, Colby 10
GCCC 010 901 1 -- 12 16 1
Colby 221 401 0 -- 10 13 1
Van Bibber, Melendez (4), Wyatt (6) and Gillman; Edwards, Beecroft (4), Carey (4), Campbell (4), Hornstra (7) and Sim. W -- Van Bibber. L -- Beecroft. S -- Wyatt (12). 2B -- GCCC, Gillman (2), Mattingly; Colby, Sim, Semenza, Smith (2). 3B -- GCCC, Gillman. HR -- GCCC, Mattingly, Warner (2), DeCarlo; Colby, Ziegler.
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