By MIKE KESSINGER

mkessinger@gctelegram.com

The offense came out doing what it wanted to do, but when the Garden City Community College softball team needed it the most, Butler County just wouldn't allow it. Then Barton County wouldn't allow the Lady Broncbuster offense do anything at all.

When it had all concluded, Garden City was eliminated from the Region VI tournament Saturday, losing the first game of the day 9-5 to Butler, then 7-0 to Barton County in the second.

After starting the tournament Friday with a pair of wins, the Busters couldn't find the winning touch Saturday.

In the first game, Garden City was primed to continue what it started Friday as the first six base runners reached base off Butler starter Lauren Supak. The first inning lead grew to 3-0, but three straight strikeouts ended the Busters rally. In the Butler half of the first, the Grizzlies scored four runs, then answered Garden City's one run in the second with two of their own. Butler scored two more in the third, and the Busters never caught up from there.

"I think there was a lot of emotion with the way we started," Garden City head coach Phil Terpstra said.

The Busters couldn't continue the offensive momentum they built early.

Taylor Cange (16-6) took the loss. She pitched just three innings, giving up six runs on six hits. Marie Zoglman relieved Cange in the fourth and gave up three runs on seven hits.

"She wasn't hitting her spots," Terpstra said of Cange. "Butler is the best hitting team we've faced and they showed it."

Had the Busters won the first game, they would have waited to play either Butler or Barton in the championship game. With the loss though, Garden City (34-17) had to first get through Barton.

"We made a few mistakes in that first game, but I thought we played alright," Terpstra said. "There was no emotion against Barton, and they took it to us."

With two runs in the first inning, the Cougars tacked five more runs on in the third taking away any momentum from Garden City.

Joni Stegman (18-8), who finished with two hits of the offensive side, took the loss. She pitched just 2 2/3 innings, giving up seven runs on seven hits. Cange relieved Stegman in the third and gave up just two hits.

The loss ends the Busters season where it did a year ago. Garden City's 34 wins was a single-season school record. The .667 winning percentage was also a school-best.

"We've done a lot of good things this year," Terpstra said. "We got a lot out of this team. We played Butler six times this season, and only beat them once so that obviously says something about Butler. I was proud of how the girls played overall."

Butler won the Region VI crown for the second straight year as they blasted Barton County in the championship game 18-3. The Grizzlies will travel to Plant City, Fla., for the national tournament that starts May 15.

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Region VI Tournament

Game 1

Butler 9, Garden City 5

Garden City 310 `00 0 -- 5 9 1

Butler 422 001 x -- 9 13 0

Cange, Zoglman (4) and Jeanjaquet; Supak and Nelson. W -- Supak. L -- Cange(16-6. 2B -- GCCC, Bahr, Jeanjaquet; Butler, Earley. HR -- Butler, Hart.

Game 2

Barton County 7, Garden City 0

Garden City 000 000 0 -- 0 5 3

Barton County 205 000 0 -- 7 9 1

Stegman, Cange(3) and Specht, Jeanjaquet (3); Cervera and Wedel. W -- Cervera. L -- Stegman (18-8). 2B -- Barton, Ramos. HR -- Barton, Allen.