Broncbusters rally to beat Pratt in opener

By Mike Pilosof

Garden City, KS-Twice in Friday's series opener with Pratt, Chris Finnegan's team found themselves behind. But as they've done so often this season, they found a way in the end.

Geoff Marlow collected three hits, Kyle Jameson knocked in two runs, and Garden City beat Pratt 7-4 at Williams Stadium.

"Our pitching got better as the day went on," Finnegan said. "Our guys just found a way."

And they did it despite starter Andrew Petrowski laboring through most of his 3.2 innings of work. He walked two in the first before yielding a two-out, two-run single to Marcello Aguirre. An inning later, he issued two more free passes but got out of trouble when Pierecen Dooling was thrown out trying to swipe second and Cooper Bradbury flied out to left. That was followed up by a smooth-sailing third inning where he got Devon Nicholson to bounce into a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play. But he never made it through the fourth, giving up a lead-off double to Aguirre and a walk to Brenden Tauber. Finnegan then turned to Shane Miller, who ended the scoring threat by fanning Bradbury on a high fastball.

Meantime the offense had a tough time figuring out Beavers' starter Caleb Cude, who held Garden City without hit until Marlow singled to right with one out in the fourth. Following an error and a fielder's choice, Jameson ripped a two-run double to the gap. Michael Wright followed with an RBI base hit, and the Broncbusters led 3-2.  

The bullpen though failed to hold the lead.

In the Pratt fifth, Gunner Hutson crushed Trey Schwerdtfeger's offering and parked it over the wall in left for a solo homer that put the Beavers back on top 4-3. But Garden City tied it the next time they came up on Mason Mitchel's sacrifice fly. Then, in the sixth, the Broncbusters took the lead behind a two-out rally. Miguel Ramos was hit by a pitch, Cullen Glosson drew a four-pitch walk, and Marlow battled through a 10-pitch at bat to rip a three-run double to left that made it 7-4.

The Beavers never threated again.

Petrowski threw 77 pitches and walked six batters for Garden City. He allowed two earned runs on four hits while the bullpen allowed just two runs over the final 3.1 innings.

Cude was sharp early but then faded late, walking five over four innings for the Beavers. He gave up three runs (none earned) on four hits while striking out five.