Big inning leads Colby past Garden City

By Mike Pilosof

Colby, KS-A one-run game turned into a runaway, thanks to a fifth inning that completely got away from Garden City.

Layne Gillins went 4-for-4 at the plate with a solo shot, Makenna Pendergrass also went yard and knocked in four runs, and Colby routed Garden City 11-1 in five innings.

"Give credit to Colby, they did a good job of hitting our mistakes in that fifth inning," Head Coach Becky Gundy said.

For the first four innings, Garden City matched Colby blow for blow.

After falling down 2-0, Garden City pulled to within a run in the third when Ariel Denney cranked a two-out home run over the fence in left. Then in the fourth, the Broncbusters had the tying run on with two outs following Audrey Graf's single to left. But Vivian Lopez struck out swinging, and the side was retired.

"We were in it, really until that one inning," Gundy explained.

When Colby came to bat in the fifth, they absolutely teed off on Garden City starter Madison Biller. Alexis Kagan and Gillins led off the frame with singles. Two batters later, Whisper Doliwa drove in a run before Pendergrass applied the knockout blow: a grand slam on the first pitch she saw, giving the Trojans an 8-1 advantage. Unfortunately, the inning continued with back-to-back singles by Gloria DiLauro and Kagan. Then Gillins ended the game with one swing, tattooing a mammoth 3-run shot to dead center, putting the finishing touches on an 11-1, run-rule victory.

Biller dropped to 3-4 in the circle with the loss, allowing a season-high 11 runs on a 13 hits. She walked two and struck out two.

Mahealani Haegele picked up the win for Colby, fanning six in five innings. She threw just 79 pitches.