Broncbusters Drop Game 2 at Barton Despite Three-Homer First Inning

Photo by: Adam Shrimplin/Garden City Athletics

GREAT BEND, KS – Garden City Community College opened with a surge of early offense but could not keep pace with Barton Community College, falling 13-5 in Game 2 of a conference doubleheader Saturday at Cougar Field.

The Broncbusters (28-26, 15-17) jumped out to a fast start with three home runs in the opening inning, but Barton answered with consistent production throughout the middle innings, scoring in four consecutive frames to pull away.

Garden City wasted no time taking control in the top of the first. Danna Viera led off with a solo home run before Maysen Kurene-Iwikau and Maiarangi Waipara followed with back-to-back solo shots, giving the Broncbusters a quick 3-0 advantage.

Barton responded with a run in the bottom half and then took command in the third inning. After Garden City added a run on an RBI single from Waipara in the top of the third, Barton erupted for five runs in the bottom half to flip the momentum and take a 6-4 lead.

The Cougars continued to apply pressure in the fourth, plating two more runs, before breaking the game open in the fifth with a four-run inning. Barton tallied 17 hits in the contest, with multiple players contributing to the offensive surge.

Garden City briefly cut into the deficit in the fifth inning. Jade Hendrix worked a walk to start the frame before Kurene-Iwikau and Waipara delivered back-to-back singles. Valeria Mandujano brought home a run on a groundout, trimming the margin to 10-5.

However, the Broncbusters were unable to generate further offense over the final inning and a half, as Barton added an insurance run in the sixth to close out the game.

Viera, Kurene-Iwikau, and Waipara each finished with three hits to lead Garden City's offense, combining for all three home runs and four RBI. Waipara drove in two runs, while Mandujano added an RBI in the loss.

Key moment
Barton's five-run third inning erased an early Garden City lead and shifted control in a game that started with early momentum for the Broncbusters.

Key stat
Garden City hit three home runs in the first inning but was out-hit 17-9 overall as Barton's offense sustained pressure across six innings.

Up next
Garden City will face Dodge City in the 2026 NJCAA Division I Softball Plains District Tournament on Friday, May 8 at 2:00 p.m. in Dodge City.