Broncbusters experience power outage in opener vs. Hutch

By Mike Pilosof

Photo by Adam Shrimplin

Garden City, KS-Offense was hard to find for Amy Schmeckpeper's team in Saturday's opener.

The Broncbusters were limited to just two hits, Natalie Bevan and Haley Miller homered for Hutchinson, and the Blue Dragons powered past Garden City, 6-1 at Tangeman Sports Complex. The loss dropped the Broncbusters to 10-13 overall and 4-5 in conference play.

Tara Reid, who was yanked after four innings, got into some hot water early. Miller's one-out solo blast in the first gave the Blue Dragons a lead they never relinquished. Aspen Goetz added an RBI single in the second before Bevan's two-run homer in the third put the visitors on top, 4-0. 

Meantime Garden City couldn't get anything going. Besides a Ryanna Johnson single in the first, and Alexis Maestretti's fourth long ball of the season in the sixth, the Broncbusters were completely shut down.

Riley Wertz's RBI groundout in the fifth and Bevan's swipe of home in the seventh gave the Blue Dragons a five-run cushion.

Reid allowed four runs on eight hits in four innings for the Broncbusters, which dropped to 4-3 at home. 

Emily Munson notched her second win of the season for Hutchinson, striking out eight in a complete-game effort. Miller went 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored, and Bevan knocked in a pair.