Broncbusters hammer Fort Hays Tech Northwest

Garden City, KS-Maysen Kurene-Iwikau homered, Yina Ballesta Varags strolled through three innings to earn her 13^th win of the season, and Garden City destroyed Fort Hays Tech Northwest, 23-1 in five innings in game one Saturday afternoon at Tangeman Sports Complex. 

Kurene-Iwikau knocked in a season-high six runs, and Jade Hendrix and Maria Avendano each collected three hits for Garden City, which improved to 21-16 overall and 13-10 in conference. Fori also drove in five runs. 

The Broncbusters scored five runs in the first and never looked back. Fori singled home Hendrix, who led off the inning with a sharp single to right. Reagan Sword scored on a wild pitch, Kenzie Garza was hit with the bases loaded, and Ayana Macklin came home when Legase Leaumoana's breaking ball skipped away from catcher, Haley Karlik. 

The real damage though came in the third. Garden City sent 17 batters to the plate and scored 14 runs on 11 hits. The capper was Kurene-Iwikau's towering grand slam to left that capped off a half inning that lasted nearly 30 minutes. 

The freshman from New Zeeland added an RBI double that polished off a four-run fourth inning to make it 23-1. 

Vargas, whose only blemish came in the first when Natori Yates singled home a run, allowed just two hits over three innings. She struck out two.