Garden City Faces Tough Test Against #13-Ranked McCook

Photo by: Adam Shrimplin/Garden City Athletics

Garden City, KS – Garden City Community College softball faced a tough early-season test at home, squaring off with #13-ranked McCook Community College in a doubleheader. Despite late flashes of offense, the Broncbusters dropped both contests to a nationally ranked opponent.

McCook used timely power hitting and big innings to seize control in each game, while Garden City continued to show fight at the plate down the stretch.

Game 1: #13 McCook 6, Garden City 4

McCook struck first and gradually built a 5–0 lead through six innings, highlighted by a two-run home run from P. Kinsley and a two-RBI double from P. Warren.

Garden City answered in the sixth when Reagan Sword delivered an RBI single to get the Busters on the board. The Broncbusters made things interesting in the seventh with a late rally.

Isabella Stevenson-Del Torto launched a solo home run, Izzy Foster tripled in a run, and Danna Viera added an RBI single to trim the deficit to two. The comeback effort fell just short as McCook held on for the 6–4 win.

Game 2: #13 McCook 17, Garden City 6

The nightcap saw McCook erupt early, plating multiple runs in each of the first three innings, including a massive third inning that pushed the lead to 9–0. P. Warren led the surge with multiple RBI and aggressive baserunning, including a steal of home.

Garden City responded in the third with disciplined at-bats. A bases-loaded walk scored one, followed by sacrifice flies from Maysen Kurene-Iwikau and Maiarangi Waipara to make it 9–3.

McCook continued to apply pressure with extra-base hits in the fourth and fifth to extend the margin. The Broncbusters showed resilience in the fifth when Kurene-Iwikau blasted a three-run home run, bringing home Jade Hendrix and Izzy Foster to cap Garden City's scoring.

Facing a top-15 opponent early in the season provided a strong measuring stick for the Broncbusters. Garden City showed resilience and the ability to generate offense late, but McCook's depth and power proved decisive across the doubleheader.

Next Up: The Broncbusters return to action tomorrow, February 7th, 2026, hosting Frank Phillips College at 1:00 PM as Garden City looks to bounce back and build momentum at home.