Broncbusters give up early lead, lose opener to Dodge City

Dodge City, KS-The Broncbusters let another one slip away on Wednesday. 

Andrew Detlefsen homered, Carson Wright and Nick Mesquita knocked in a pair of runs, and Dodge City erased an early 7-0 deficit to beat Garden City, 11-10 at Cavalier Field. The loss dropped the Broncbusters to 4-17 overall and 2-4 in conference play. 

Garden City starter Gunnar Nartker was rocked for eight runs on eight hits in just two innings of work as the Broncbusters surrendered double digit runs for the 12^th time this season and fifth straight contest. 

Caleb Cox's team put together a massive first inning, scoring seven runs after the first two batters, Connor Camden and Brett Barber struck out. Konner Hatfield followed with a double to the gap, and Quinn Gundelfinger ripped an RBI single. Kaelen Bing then roped a run-scoring base hit, and PJ Alvarez blasted a three-run homer off Tristan Wolf to make it 5-0. Two batters later, Nick Barber sent a two-run bomb over the left-field wall, putting the finishing touches on a half-inning that saw the Broncbusters score seven runs on six hits while sending 10 guys to the plate. 

Unfortunately, the pitching staff gave it all back.  

The Conquistadors scored one in the bottom half and three more in the second. But the big blow came in the third when Caden Malton and Nick Messquita doubled home a pair of runs. Wright added an RBI groundout, and Zandt Payne smoked an RBI single to left to give the Conquistadors an 8-7 advantage. 

After Garden City took the lead back in the fourth thanks to Camden's triple that scored (Nick) Barber and Brett Barber's RBI single, the home team immediately tied things in the bottom of the frame on Cooper Tomkinson's sacrifice fly. The Conquistadors then went in front for good in the sixth when Detlefsen homered off Broncbuster reliever Caden Blair. 

The Broncbusters did make it interesting in the seventh, scoring a run when Bing bounced into a double play. But Alvarez grounded out harmlessly to Tomkinson at first to end the game.  

Brian Hallum picked up his second win of the year for Dodge City, pitching two innings of relief, allowing just one run on three hits.