Broncbusters erase early deficit; beat Otero in series opener

Garden City, Gracie Bishop and Tori Olson each homered, Alanna Neilsen scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball in the sixth, and Garden City came back from an early three-run deficit to beat Otero, 9-8 Sunday afternoon at Tangeman Sports Complex. With the win, the Broncbusters improved to 5-10 overall.  

Neilsen, Cadence Mallet, Bishop, and Keely Porter all collected two hits while Olson picked up the win in the circle, pitching 3.2 innings of relief, allowing three runs on four hits. She struck out one and walked two. 

After the Rattlers scored two in the top half of the first, the Broncbusters responded with Porter's two-out, RBI single in the bottom half that sliced to 2-1. Once Otero built a 4-1 cushion with two more in the second, Olson mashed a solo shot in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-2. The Broncbusters then tied the game in the third. Bishop pushed an RBI single to left; then scored when catcher, Abigail Swartz bobbled the ball at the plate. 

In the fourth, after Otero again grabbed a one-run lead, Savanna Griebling knotted things up with an RBI double to the gap. Neilsen followed with a sacrifice fly, and the Broncbusters were up 6-5. Later in the inning, Bishop hit a two-run homer to give the Broncbusters a three-run lead. 

Otero responded again by tying the game with three in the fifth including Ana Medeiros's two-run blast. But the Broncbusters had the last laugh. Neilsen's one-out double in the sixth got things in motion. She eventually scored on a passed ball to make it 9-8.  

The Rattlers brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the seventh, but Olson retired the final two batters to end the game. 

Otero starter Courtney Miller allowed nine runs on 12 hits in six innings. She struck out two and walked two.