Broncbusters drop wild high-scoring affair to Miles

By Mike Pilosof

Garden City, KS-Sometimes, mother nature can be just flat out brutal. Monday was one of those days.

Thanks to constant 40 mph winds, normal line drives became home runs, breaking balls became, well, acrobatic saves by catchers turned into hockey goalies, and singles turned into inside-the park home runs. The only thing missing was the rodeo clown, although what difference would that have made?

Olivia Cook hit three home runs and drove in eight, Kelealani Waiau went 5-for-7 at the plate, and Miles climbed out of a seven-run hole to beat Garden City 27-26 at Tangeman Sports Complex.

To say this game was crazy wouldn't do it justice. In fact, insane, outrageous and down-right absurd may be the only way to describe it. And it was almost a carbon copy of Sunday's opener, at least the start of it anyways.

The Pioneers scored six runs in the 1^st smacking a pair of home runs including Cook's two-run job. But the Broncbusters weren't down for long, thanks to Nya Chacon, who is having as good a start to a season as any Garden City player in recent memory. The freshman absolutely unloaded on Kelealani Waiau's fastball in the bottom half of the first frame for a three-run homer to slice the deficit in half. After Miles added a run in the top of the 2^nd, the Broncbusters flipped the game in the bottom half. They scored 11 runs on 10 hits and sent 16 players to the plate in a half inning that lasted almost an hour. It included a three-run, momentum-shifting long ball from Lacey Kearsley, who celebrated her birthday on Monday, and a two-run bomb off the bat of Elycia Johnson. When it was all said and done, Garden City turned a 6-0 hole into a 14-7 advantage.

But with the Southwest Kansas wind, no lead is safe. Such was the case on this day.

Cook homered again for Miles in the 3^rd, fueling a four-running inning that pulled the Pioneers to within three, 14-11. A Lilnoe Nihi RBI single in the 4^th, and Cook's run-scoring triple in the 5^th, tied the game at 14.

Garden City responded in their half when Encinias went deep. Three batters later, Chacon clubbed a two-run shot, and Tara Reid followed with an RBI base hit, putting the Broncbusters in front 18-14.

But again, Miles answered, pulling to within one in the 6^th when Taylor Woolley fit a ground ball past the glove of a diving Chacon at short. Then, in their half of the 7^th, Kassidy Kinzie's bunt resulted in an RBI, Autumn Porter bounced into a fielder's choice that scored Raegan Harper, Cook left the yard again, and Waiau and Harper stroked a pair of RBI singles to put Miles up 24-18.

Game over. Well, not quite.

With two outs in the bottom of the 7^th, Alexis Maestretti started the rally for Garden City with an RBI single to center. Micaela Mirabal walked with the bases loaded, McKenzie Moore doubled to the gap in right-center, and Encinias tripled home a pair to tie the game. But with the winning run 90 feet away, Johnson popped out harmlessly to short.

Miles then took the lead for good in the 8^th. Kearsley held the ball too long on a bunt attempt by Tessa Della Silva, and Porter crushed a two-run homer to center to put the Pioneers in front 27-24.

The Broncbusters made thing interesting in the bottom half when Kearsley singled home a run and Reid pushed another across on a fielder's choice. But Maestretti struck out on a 1-2 changeup, and the game was over, almost four hours later.

Garden City lost despite slugging out a season-high 24 hits. Chacon was 4-for-6 with six RBI, and Kearsley was 5-for-6 with six driven in. But Head Coach, Amy Schmeckpeper had to use three different pitchers with the starter, Reid, surrendering 11 earned runs on 14 hits. Johnson allowed four runs on six hits, and Kearsley was tagged for 10 on seven knocks.

The loss dropped the Broncbusters to 4-7 overall.