Garden City's late rally comes up short in opener with Butler

Garden City, KS-Early-season baseball in Southwest Kansas is always an adventure. Thank mother nature for that. 

In a game featuring 45 mph wind gusts, Jackson Ellison took full advantage knocking in three runs, Jack Haag recorded a three-out save, and Butler edged Garden City, 7-6 Thursday afternoon at Williams Stadium. 

The Broncbusters, which lost for the sixth time in their last seven games to fall to 7-8 overall and 0-1 in conference, had the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh. But Cody Kilpatrick grounded out to short to end the game. 

This one was definitely a rollercoaster ride. With the score tied at 1 in the third, Sean Philpotts led off the inning with a home run to left field to give the Broncbusters a 2-1 advantage. 

After the Grizzlies tied it back up in the fourth, Philpotts homered again to put Garden City in front, 3-2. 

But they couldn't hold it.

Garden City starter, Bradley Feezer ducked and dodged his way through five innings. But in the sixth, he allowed the first two men to reach. He was then replaced by Burton, who surrendered an unearned run. Then he plunked Brady Todd and gave up an RBI groundout to Alex Coester. Later in the inning, he allowed a pair of RBI singles, including a two-run base hit by Ellison that gave the visitors a 7-3 lead. 

The Broncbusters wiggled their way back into the game in the bottom half thanks to Brittain Brewer's two-run single, and Philpotts' base hit that brought the Broncbusters back to within one. 

Philpotts finished 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and three runs scored for Garden city. Brewer was 2-for-3 with a couple of runs batted in. 

Butler starter, Shane Holman allowed three runs on six hits in five innings. Van Handeberg picked up his second win in relief.