Garden City loses series opener to 4th-ranked Reivers

By Mike Pilosof

Photo by Adam Shrimplin

Garden City, KS-Chris Finnegan knew that the only way Garden City was going to be ready for the start of Jayhawk-League play, was to toughen up his non-conference schedule. Well he did that this year. And on Saturday, the Broncbusters got a first-hand look at a perennial NJCAA power.

Nick Juaire collected two hits, the Iowa Western bullpen surrendered only two runs in five innings, and the fourth-ranked Reivers beat Garden City 14-5 at Williams Stadium.

Things looked promising after a fast start for Garden City. With two outs in the bottom of the first, Colin Stone ripped a line-drive double down the right-field line, scoring Cullen Glosson and Kyle Jameson. The second-year catcher meantime was thrown out trying to advance to third. Still, the Broncbusters had the lead, which they stretched to 3-0 an inning later when Glosson drew a bases-loaded walk.

But the Reivers, last season's National Runner-up, came right back in the third. Noah Hall drew a leadoff walk against Broncbusters' starter Connery O'Donnell; then scored two batters later when Juaire doubled to the gap in left. Two batters after that, Spencer Parker singled home a run, and Iowa Western was within two, 3-2. In the fourth, the Reivers grabbed the lead for good. An error by Stone behind the plate, allowed one run to score. The next hitter, Cooper Bowman, laced an RBI single to center, and Jaden Rolffs hit a sacrifice fly, putting Iowa Western ahead 6-3.

Garden City managed to get a run back in the fourth on Ibrahim Rodriguez's two-out RBI single. But that's all they could muster in the frame, one that began with Glosson taking a free pass.

Iowa Western then blew the game open in the sixth.

The Reivers chased reliever, Caley Ayers, scoring seven runs in the frame. That included Juaire's run-scoring double to right and a bases-loaded walk issued by Nayton Agosto that put the Reivers up 13-4. In all, 13 Iowa Western players batted in the inning, producing five hits and drawing three walks. They added another run in the seventh on an error at third by Rodriguez.

Alex Firsdon picked up the win for the Reivers, allowing just one earned run on one hit in four innings of relief. He struck out seven. Derek Shoen drove in two runs as did Bowman and Sam Riola.

The loss wiped away a terrific day for Stone at the plate. The sophomore finished 2-for-3 with three RBI, which included a solo shot in the seventh, his second homer of the season.