Rivalry renewed: Dodge steals two from Garden at Tangeman

By Mike Pilosof

Garden City, KS-A matchup with their arch rival did not go according to plan for Becky Gundy's team.

Kylie Fox hit her fourth home run of the season, Kim Herron knocked in five runs, and Dodge City swept the Broncbusters 9-1 and 6-2 Wednesday afternoon at Tangeman Sports Complex. It was Garden City's 11^th loss in their last 12 games.

Fox wasted no time getting the Conquistadors off and rolling in the opener, smacking a leadoff homer off Garden City starter Desiree Perea in the top of the first. Herron then singled home two to make it 3-0.

Herron continued the onslaught in the third when she ripped an RBI double to center field that plated Taylor Menard for a 4-0 advantage.

After Garden City (11-15, 0-4)  got on the board when Leisha Nakagawa scored on right fielder Baylee Rial's error in the bottom of the third, Dodge City proceeded to pad their lead in the fourth. Fox scored on Makayla Tegmeier's RBI fielder's choice, Adreanna Guerrero doubled home Brittney Gonzalez before coming around to score herself on pitcher Haleigh Johnson's miscue to give the Conquistadors a 7-1 edge.  Tegmeier finished off the run rule with a two-run double in the top of the fifth.

While Dodge City's offense was rolling, Herron was dealing in the circle, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out five. She improved to 8-2 on the season while only tossing 76 pitches.

Perea dropped to 4-5 overall, giving up four earned runs on six hits in three innings. She did not get much help from her defense as the Broncbusters committed four errors.

More mistakes cost the Broncbusters in the second game. Five more miscues, including two in the top of the fourth that helped Dodge City (14-6, 4-2) build a 3-0 lead.  

Garden City worked their way back into the contest in the bottom half when Hannah Adams doubled home Erica Vessels and Nicole Milford to cut the Conquistadors advantage to 3-2. But that's the only scoring the Broncbusters could muster.

Dodge City added a run in the fifth on Herron's RBI double to left; one in the sixth when Rial came around to score on Adams' error at second base and another in the seventh on Menard's RBI groundout that made it 6-2.

Herron picked up her second victory of the day with a two-run, four-hit performance in seven innings. She fanned eight.

Samantha Akers took the loss for Garden City, yielding six runs (only one was earned) on eight hits.

Garden City stranded five runners on base.

Next up: Garden City vs. Clarendon, Saturday, March 11-12 p.m. and 2 p.m.