Anderson ties school record in loss to Ranger
Ranger, TX-Jackson Dillingham collected three hits including a monstrous two-run homer, Michael Lozano drove in three runs, and Ranger beat Garden City, 14-8 Saturday afternoon.
The loss, which dropped the Broncbusters to 2-12 overall, spoiled a masterful offensive performance by Wyatt Anderson, who tied a school record with five hits, which included a two-run jack in the fifth inning. Nick Barber finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored, and Grant Ryan was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Garden City starter, Caleb Metzen, allowed six runs on four hits in just two innings. The bullpen then surrendered eight runs including five by Shane Puckett.
After a double steal and an Anderson RBI single gave Josh Oller's team a 2-run advantage after a half inning, Ranger answered with a four-run bottom of the first, powered by back-to-back run-scoring doubles by Joshua Comeaux and Robert Oropeza.
Ranger, which improved to 13-5 overall, added two more in the second and another in the third to make it 7-2. Once Anderson's towering two-run blast to right-center in the fifth got Garden City back within two, Oropeza struck again in the bottom half with an RBI single. Lozano followed with a sacrifice fly, and the home team had a 9-5 advantage.
The Broncbusters kept things close in the sixth. With two on, Juan Rodriguez smashed an RBI double to the gap in right before coming around to score later in the frame on a passed ball to make it 9-7.
But things unraveled for Garden City in the bottom of the sixth.
After striking out Tui Amosa on a 2-2 breaking ball, Puckett walked Jaxon Haynes and plunked Comeaux on a fastball high and tight. He was then called for a balk with the bases loaded before Oropeza added another RBI with a sac fly to center.
In the seventh, Kaden Johnson served up a two-run homer to Dillingham that gave Ranger a 13-7 lead.
Byron Madero notched the win in relief, tossing a scoreless ninth inning.