Broncbusters run-rule Barton in series opener

By Mike Pilosof

Photo by Adam Shrimplin

Garden City, KS-For weeks, Head Coach, Amy Schmeckpeper kept saying that it was just a matter of time before her offense broke out. On Thursday, the bats awoke in a big-time way.

Nya Chacon and Alanna Neilsen both homered, Tara Reid allowed just three earned runs, and the Broncbusters pulverized Barton, 17-4 in a five-inning run-rule victory at Tangeman Sports Complex. Garden City improved to 12-19 overall and 7-9 in conference play.

Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the second, the Broncbusters immediately tied it up with one swing, thanks to Neilsen, whose bomb over the center-field fence infused life into a struggling offense. Later in the inning, Ryanna Johnson crushed a hanging breaking ball from Kayla Beers and drove it to right for a two-run triple, Chacon followed with an RBI base hit, and Garden City was up 5-2. 

After adding two more in the third, the home team broke it open in the fourth. Schmeckpeper's bunch sent 14 batters to the plate, slugged out eight hits, and took advantage of a fielding error by pitcher Sydni Williams early in the frame, scoring 10 runs and completely demoralizing the Cougars. Alexis Maestretti smoked an RBI single, Neilsen knocked in Micaela Mirabal, Reid brought Neilsen around, and Chacon and Martinez each banged out a pair of bases-clearing doubles to give Garden City a commanding 17-3 advantage.

The Broncbusters finished the afternoon with 17 runs on 19 hits. In fact, everyone, except for Lacey Kearsley and Mirabal, had at least one knock. Chacon drove in five runs, and Reid notched her third victory of the season.

Beers took the loss for Barton, allowing five runs on six hits in 1 1/3.