Big fourth inning propels Broncbusters to game-one win over Pratt

Garden City, KS-Garden City got back on track on Saturday. 

Keiry Abreu and Alyssa Santana homered, Yina Ballesta Vargas struck out eight, and the Broncbusters run-ruled Pratt in five innings, 13-4 in game one at Tangeman Sports Complex. 

Maysen Kurene-Iwikau drove in three for Garden City, which snapped a five-game losing streak to improve to 10-9 overall and 2-3 in conference play. 

Vargas, who had lost her last three decisions in the circle, got off to a bit of a shaky start, allowing a two-run double to Ashleigh Bowell in the top of the first.

That was the only adversity she faced the rest of the day. 

It also helped that Garden City's offense finally got going in the third. Kenzie Garza walked and stole second, Daryelin Rivas Chavez knocked her in with a double, Maria Avendano Fori ripped an RBI single, and Kurene-Iwikau smoked a run-scoring extra base hit to give the Broncbusters a 3-2 lead. 

But most of the damage in this one occurred in the fourth. Abreu hit a two-run bomb, Santana sent a three-run shot screeching down the left-field line, and Garden City was up 13-2. 

Meantime Vargas kept Pratt off balance, working a perfect second before skirting around a two-out double in the third. She issued a one-out walk in the fourth and gave up a pair of runs in the fifth before she struck out Blair Shipman to end the game. 

Her final stat line: four runs on seven hits in five innings. 

Shipman, who started the opener for Pratt (3-12, 2-5) allowed five runs on six hits before being pulled with one out in the fourth.