By MIKE KESSINGER

mkessinger@gctelegram.com

If there's ever a time to make a surge for a higher playoff spot, now would be the time to do it.

After completing a 5-2, 7-1 sweep of Colby Community College on Tuesday, the Garden City Lady Broncbusters are doing just that. Now, it's just a mat ter of getting enough wins down the stretch to keep it going. The sweep was the second straight for Garden City (26-13, 8-6) and puts the Busters in third place in the district standings.

"That was our best doubleheader this season by far," Garden City head coach Phil Terpstra said. "Our pitching and defense were good."

The Busters had a five-run burst in the first inning of game 1 Tuesday and used it to fend off a Trojan team that scored one run apiece in the first and second innings. In the bottom of the first, Colby (27-27, 3-9) loaded the bases with no outs, but had got just one run.

"That was big," Terpstra said. "To jump on them 5-0, then have them do something like that wasn't good, but we just didn't let them back in to it."

Joni Stegman (15-5) picked up the win, giving up two runs on five hits in seven innings of work.

Garden City belted out 12 hits with Megan Hamilton finishing with three of them.

In the nightcap, Taylor Cange (11-5) gave up three hits in six innings of work before giving way to reliever Marie Zoglman.

The Busters broke open a 1-0 lead in the fourth with three run, then added two in the fifth and one in the sixth before Colby scored its lone run.

Garden City sophomore Becky Diehl hit her 13th home run of the season in the second game.

The Busters were have played at Barton County today, then will host the Cougars on Thursday for a rescheduled doubleheader.

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GCCC (26-13, 8-6) at Colby (24-27, 3-9)

Game 1

Garden City 5, Colby 2

Garden City 500 000 0 -- 5 12 1

Colby 110 000 0 -- 2 5 0

Stegman and Stefanski; Panno and McLaughlin. W -- Stegman (15-5). L -- Panno. 2B -- GCCC, Bahr, Diehl, Stefanski; Colby, Fabrizio.

Game 2

Garden City 7, Colby 1

Garden City 010 321 0 -- 7 11 0

Colby 000 001 0 -- 1 4 2

Cange, Zoglman (7) and Jeanjaquet; Amaro, Kage (5) and McLaughlin. W -- Cange (11-5). L -- Amaro. 2B -- Colby, Fabrizio. 3B -- GCCC, Clay. HR -- GCCC, Diehl.