Broncbusters advance at Region VI

By Mike Pilosof

Dodge City, KS-The Broncbuster softball team kept their season alive on Saturday with a 13-5, run-rule victory over Pratt in a loser's bracket game in the 2018 Region VI Tournament at Legends Park. With the win, Garden City advances to play either Colby or Seward County in an elimination game Saturday night at 7 p.m.

This game was never in doubt. Erica Vessels, who homered on day one of the postseason, singled to lead off the bottom of the first before coming around to score on an error by catcher Marisa Jonas.

Even after Pratt took a 2-1 lead in the second, the Broncbusters immediately tied the game in the bottom half when Angel Jimenez singled home one. Ariel Denney then reached on an error, scoring Carly Ochoa from third to give Garden City a 3-2 advantage. Two batters later, Hannah Adams scorched a two-run single, and Devin Hernandez added a two-RBI double to make it 7-2.

The Broncbusters scored another run in the third on an error, then finished off the Beavers in the fourth, plating four on Jessy Ortiz's run-scoring single, an error, Ochoa's RBI base hit, and Jimenez's two-run double to the gap.

Samantha Akers pitched well, allowing four earned runs on seven hits in five innings. She struck out five, and Ochoa collected three hits.

Lexi Sanborn took the loss for Pratt, giving up seven runs on eight hits.