Garden City run rules Butler in game two

Garden City, KS-Garden City took out two weeks of frustration out on Butler in game two. 

Sage Hurley homered and drove in a season-high five runs, Alexander Paniagua struck out seven, and Garden City evened up their series with the Grizzlies with a 19-8 run-rule victory Wednesday night at Williams Stadium. 

The Broncbusters, which led at two different times in the opener but couldn't close the deal, put the game away with a 10-run sixth inning. Garden City sent 16 men to the plate and produced eight hits. Cody Kilpatrick tripled home two early in the frame; then knocked in Roy Higinbotham with an RBI base hit that capped off the 40-minute half inning. Sprinkle in Akoi Burton's two bagger that brought two around and a two-RBI single by Higinbotham, and Josh Oller's team had a 19-6 lead. 

Chet Robinson eventually closed it out in top of the seventh, working around a pair of bases-loaded walks before Sean Philpotts made an over-the-shoulder running catch near the warning track in center field to end the game. 

Hurley finished 3-for-3 at the plate with three runs scored and five RBI for Garden City, which evened up their record at 8-8 overall and 1-1 in conference. Sean Togher produced two hits, and Kilpatrick drove in four runs. 

Butler hit the Broncbusters with a serious right cross to begin the game. They scratched a run across in the first; then chased starter, Walker Maximick following Alex Coester's RBI single with one out in the second. Cooper Rasmussen followed with a run-scoring double, and the Grizzlies had a 5-0 lead.  

But the Broncbusters responded in the bottom half with two free passes with the sacks full and a sacrifice fly by Hurley that pulled them within two. They tied the game in the fourth on a Karson Evans RBI single to center. 

Butler starter, Caden Hinther was tagged for five runs on five hits in 3 2/3. 

Meantime Paniagua improved to 2-0 on the bump for the Broncbusters, yielding three runs on six hits in 4 2/3.