Kearsley sets the table; Garden City downs Lamar in Thursday's opener

By Mike Pilosof

Garden City, KS-To say Lacey Kearsley had herself a day would be the ultimate understatement.

The freshman pitcher picked up her first win in the circle, while also helping out her own cause, collecting three hits including a monstrous third-inning grand slam that helped Garden City take down Lamar 12-5 Thursday afternoon at Tangeman Sports Complex.

The Broncbuster bats went to work early in game one. Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Nya Chacon slugged one of her team-best four hits, a double to the gap in right-center that scored Mckayla Encinias. Three batters later, Tara Reid singled home a pair, and Garden City was up 3-1. After Lamar got a run back in the second, Chacon answered for the brown and gold in the bottom half with an RBI double, Carly Powley ripped a two-bagger, and so did Kearsley, pushing the lead to 6-2.

Then for the fireworks.

With a three-run lead in the bottom of the third, Garden City loaded the bases when Erykah Foster walked, Jamie Wolf was hit by a pitch, and McKenzie Moore singled to center. Following Chacon's second double that brought one around, Powley was issued a free pass, setting the stage for Kearsley, who absolutely crushed Sloane Vigoren's 1-0 fastball over the fence in left for a grand slam and an 11-3 advantage.

After the Lopes scored a run in the fourth and then again in the fifth, Kearsley provided some insurance with an RBI base hit through the right side.

Kearsley finished 3-for-3 at the plate with six RBI falling a triple away from the cycle for Garden City. Chacon was 4-for-4 with four runs scored and three driven in, and Reid knocked in two. In the circle, Kearsley allowed three earned runs on seven hits over seven innings. She struck out five.