
Colby rallies from a four-run deficit to win series finale
Colby, KS-As the season has progressed, Josh Oller's team has become more competitive. But even the first-year skipper gets tired of moral victories.
JJ Gines drove in two runs including the game winner in the ninth, Raphael Banger went 4-for-4 at the plate, and Colby beat Garden City, 11-10 on Sunday afternoon.
The Broncbusters, which dropped to 3-26 overall and 1-11 in conference, squandered a four-run lead. Conner Balmer's RBI single in the fifth gave Garden City an 8-4 advantage. It was one of four runs batted in for the freshman first basemen.
But Colby, which improved to 5-26 overall and 3-13 in the league play, chipped away in the bottom half of the inning. Lucas Vincent drew a bases-loaded walk, and Brittain Brewer booted a ball at third allowing another run to score. Vincent then followed Andrew Major's sacrifice fly in the sixth, with a game-tying, RBI double in the eighth that knotted the game, 8-8. Lucas Johns added a go-ahead sac fly, and Colby had a 9-8 edge.
In the ninth, Brewer pushed home a run with a long fly ball to right, and Balmer added to his career day with a run-scoring triple to put Garden City back in front, 10-9.
But John DeCoste couldn't slam the door in the ninth. He gave up a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly to Carter Roth to tie the game. Two batters later, with runners at first and second, Gines lined a 2-1 fastball to right-center to give Colby a dramatic come-from-behind victory.
Ryan Sullivan picked up the win in relief, tossing an inning of shutout ball.
Meantime Garden City starter, Jace Reid, lasted only two innings, yielding four runs on four hits. He also walked four.
Caleb Metzen finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored for the Broncbusters.