Broncbusters take series opener from Seward

By Mike Pilosof

Photo by Adam Shrimplin

Liberal, KS-Ryan Muniz scored three times, and Guillermo Gelpi tossed a six-hit complete game, as Garden City beat Seward County 7-2 in their series opener on Thursday afternoon at Brent Gould Field. The Broncbusters improved to 8-16-1 overall and 2-3 in conference.

Gelpi was dealing early. The sophomore retired the first seven batters he faced before surrendering a solo shot to Luke Williams with one out in the third. He yielded another run in the fourth, worked around a one-out single in the fifth to induce a fly out and a ground out; then sat down the final six batters to earn his first victory of the season.

Meantime the offense took advantage of plenty of Saints' mistakes. Dylan Garcia ripped a two-out, RBI triple in the first to put Garden City up 1-0. After Seward County evened the game on Williams' long ball, Sage McMinn put the Broncbusters back on top in the fourth with a run-scoring single. Following a Quinn Gundelfinger base hit and a Joe Finder walk, McMinn sprinted home on a wild pitch to make it 3-1. Will Gardner scored an inning later on a passed ball, Muniz scampered to the plate on another wild pitch in the fifth, and McMinn scored again when Chance Helton's breaking ball skipped to the backstop, giving the Broncbusters a five-run cushion.

Gelpi threw 77 pitches, 60 of them for strikes for Garden City. Muniz finished 3-for-4 at the dish, and Gundelfinger collected two hits.

Seward County starter Mason Martinez allowed five runs on nine hits in six innings. He struck out eight.