Garden City erases seven-run deficit to beat Colby in series opener

By Mike Pilosof

Garden City, KS-Chris Finnegan's team apparently as a little flare for the dramatic.

Kyle Jameson drove in four runs, Ryan Muniz collected two hits, and the Broncbusters erased a seven-run deficit to beat Colby 12-8 in a non-conference showdown at Williams Stadium Friday afternoon.

But man, things looked pretty ugly early on, especially after Jake Ticer, who's had a rollercoaster ride since COVID-19 hit, signing originally with Glendale Community College, then transferring to Colby after the Arizona League shutdown, smacked a two-run first-inning homer off of Broncbuster starter Jake Gimbel. Once Garden City got a run back in the bottom half, Colby jumped on them for two more in the third, and once again it was Ticer, delivering a two-run single to right to make it 4-1. Then in the top of the fourth, Gimbel got into trouble once more, issuing a leadoff walk to JP Hamer before serving up a run-scoring base hit to Cleary Simpson. Brayden Cust followed with a RBI single to right, and Hagen Barcello ripped a two-bagger off the wall that plated two, putting Garden City in an 8-1 hole.

But in the bottom of the fourth, the brown and gold finally figured it out, and with two outs, Muniz smoked a two-out, three-run triple that rolled all the way to the wall. An inning later, Mason Mitchell was plunked with the bases loaded, and Jameson tripled home a pair to tie the game. The next batter, Michael Wright, pushed the go-ahead run across with an RBI groundout, and incredibly, the Trojans' seven-run cushion had evaporated.

From there, the Broncbusters added some insurance, all in the seventh when Jameson smacked his second triple. Eventually he came home on a wild pitch, Will Gardner, who made a beautiful over-the-shoulder running grab in front of the warning track earlier in the game in right field, drew a bases-loaded walk, and Garden City led 12-8.

Ryan Estey picked up the win in relief, striking out two in just an inning of work. Cameron Sistrunk tossed two innings, fanning two, and Noah McCandless scattered two hits in two innings. Meantime Gimbel yielded eight runs on seven hits in a rocky 3 1/3. Jameson finished 2-for-5 at the plate, and Muniz drove in three.

Next up: Garden City vs. Colby-Saturday, Feb. 27-1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. at Williams Stadium.