Broncbusters fall to Barton in Region VI elimination game

By Mike Pilosof

Dodge City, KS-Missed chances cost Garden City an opportunity to advance on Saturday.

Madison Faylor homered and knocked in three runs, Kennedee Lara collected two hits, and Barton ended the Broncbusters' season with a 6-5 win in a Region VI Tournament elimination game at Legends Park.

And Amy Schmeckpeper's team will be kicking themselves all summer for this one.

The Broncbusters took an early 2-0 lead when McKenzie Moore scored on a wild pitch, and Tara Reid delivered an RBI groundout. But they failed to create separation, and in the top of the second, the Cougars sliced the deficit in half. Then in the third, Monet Martinez's error in center allowed the tying run to score before Barton took the lead on Teegan Krol's run-scoring single. That was followed up by Faylor's two RBI double to center, and the Cougars had a 5-2 edge.

But Encinias wasted no time in bringing Garden City back, and with two on and two out in the bottom half, the sophomore cranked her third postseason home run, a no doubt blast to center that knotted the score at 5. But after Carly Powley singled and Nya Chacon reached on an error, Micaela Mirabal grounded out, and Arianna Griego struck out to end the threat.

The score remained tied until the fifth, that's when Kearsley made a costly mistake, leaving a pitch up in the zone with two outs that Faylor hammered over the wall in center to put Barton back on top.

From there, Garden City left two more on in the bottom half and spoiled a two-out double by Kearsley in the sixth when Encinias flied out to center. Then in the seventh, with their season on the line, Reid, Powley and Chacon went down in order.

Kearsley allowed nine hits in six innings for the Broncbusters, which ended the year at 25-20. She also went 3-for-4 at the plate, Encinias knocked in three runs, and Moore finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Kayla Beers struck out five in relief for Barton.