Garden City explodes for 16 hits in rout of McCook

By Mike Pilosof

Hays, KS-A nine-day layoff definitely did the Broncbuster offense some good.

After scoring just six runs over their previous four games, Garden City exploded on Thursday, slugging out 16 hits in route to a 12-5 victory over McCook at Larks Park.

And the Broncbusters did something they hadn't done all season: hit two home runs in the same game.

Jean Barreto clubbed a solo shot in the sixth and Kyle Jameson went yard in the ninth. Sprinkle in a season-high 16 hits, and Garden City's offense looked as potent as it has in a while.

Mason Mitchell, who missed the last 12 games with a concussion, clubbed three hits, including a two-run single in the first that got Garden City on the board. Colin Stone followed with an RBI base hit, and Barreto drove in Tommy Alitz with a line-drive to right, putting Garden City in front 5-0.

Even Trey Taliaferro's leadoff jack in the bottom of the first did little to quiet the Broncbusters. Ibrahim Rodriguez got the run right back for Garden City with an RBI single in the second to make it 6-1. After McCook scratched one across in in the fourth, Barreto wacked a solo shot to right to push the lead to five. Stone ripped a two-run single in the seventh; then added a scorching run-scoring double in the eighth before Jameson powered a moon ball over the left-field wall in the ninth.  

Connery O'Donnell picked up the win, allowing just one run on three hits in two innings. He struck out three. Rhett Halstead started the game, giving up just one run on three hits in three frames. Stone knocked in four runs, Barreto had three RBI, and Mitchell was 3-for-5 with three runs scored.

Next up: Garden City vs. Butler-Thursday, March 5-1 pm and 3 pm on 99.9 FM; westernkansasnews.com/kwkr and KWKR mobile app