Broncbusters lose on walk-off in opener vs. Colby

By Mike Pilosof

Photo by Adam Shrimplin

Colby, KS-The Broncbusters let an early lead slip away.

Kaylee Armstrong hit a home run and drove in four, and Elizabeth Busdicker slapped home the game winning single, as Colby topped Garden City 9-8 Thursday afternoon. The loss dropped the Broncbusters to 11-16 overall and 4-7 in conference.

Garden City pushed their way to an early lead thanks to Kayden Rodgers two-run homer in the first inning. After Colby came back to tie the game in the second, Lacey Kearsley blasted a three-run shot in the third to give the visitors a 5-2 advantage.

Unfortunately, that didn't stick. In the Trojans' half, Armstrong took Alexis Garcia deep over the center-field wall for a three-run dinger to knot the score 5-5. 

The Broncbusters though answered the bell. Ryanna Johnson stroked an RBI single; then scored on an error by Busdicker at short in the fourth before another Colby miscue in the fifth gave Garden City an 8-5 advantage.

But Amy Schmeckpeper's staff gave it right back. Alexis Maestretti's two-run error in center in the fifth helped the Trojans trim the deficit to one. Then in the seventh, Shalley Clark's single tied the game before Busdicker's base knock ended it.

Alexa Wade notched the win for Colby, allowing three runs on five hits in four innings of relief. Armstrong finished 3-for-4 at the plate. 

Garden City starter Alexis Garcia surrendered five runs on four hits in just two innings. Rodgers was 2-for-3 at the plate, and Kearsley drove in three.