Garden City builds big lead; then holds off Northeastern

By Mike Pilosof

Sterling, CO-In their first few games this season, Garden City has found a way to storm back from huge deficits. But in their opener on Saturday, they had to find a way to hang on to a big lead.

Carley Powley hit her first homer of the season, McKayla Encinias finished 3-for-4 at the plate, and Garden City built an early eight-run lead before holding on for a 9-8 victory over Northeastern at Mason Field.

And the Broncbusters got things started in a hurry.

In the top of the first, Encinias, Gaby Hernandez, and Audrey Graf, all doubled to begin the frame. After Madison Biller grounded out for the first out, Megan Waltz and Ellie Walters laced RBI singles, and Garden City was up 5-0. They extended their cushion in the third when Kaylee Rogers produced a two-out, run-scoring single, which was followed by Encinias's RBI base hit, putting the Broncbusters up 8-0.  

But the Plainsmen made things interesting the rest of the way. Kalani Hikida and Stacy Bott blasted solo homers in the third, Mia Anderson went deep in the fifth followed by Hikida's second long ball of the day, Bott ripped an RBI double, and Northeastern was within two, 8-6. They cut it to a single run an inning later when Anderson homered again.

After the Broncbusters got an insurance run in the seventh on Powley's solo shot to right, the Plainsmen answered in their half when Bott homered for the second time, making it 9-8. But after getting the winning run on base, Biller finally put the rally to bed by getting Anderson to fly out to deep left.

In all, Garden City yielded six home runs, four by Rogers and two by Biller. But in the end, Garden City did just enough to prevail. They slugged out 14 hits, the fifth time in their first seven games they had 10 or more. Walters and Rogers each knocked a pair of runs.