Broncbusters hold on to beat Trinidad State in finale

By Mike Pilosof

Garden City, KS-Sunday's opener did not go according to plan as Amy Schmeckpeper's team allowed four home runs. But in Sunday's finale, the Broncbusters got back on track thanks to some early offense.

Nya Chacon went 3-for-4 at the plate and drove in two, Carly Powley collected two RBI, and Garden City topped Trinidad State 8-7 in game two at Tangeman Sports Complex.

Schmeckpeper's starter, Tara Reid helped her own cause in the first, smacking a hot-shot single to center that scored Chacon from third. Two batters later, Alexis Maestretti ripped an RBI single, and Garden City was up 3-0.

Meantime, Reid did her best to keep Trinidad State off balance. She wiggled around a two-on-two-out jam in the first by striking out Jayden Gandert. Then in the second, she fanned two more after surrendering a leadoff double to Katie DeVille. But her fortunes turned a bit in the third when Powley misplayed a ball on the left side of the infield. Three batters later, Sydney Stewart singled home a run followed by DeVille's RBI base hit that pulled the Trojans to within two. An inning later, Trinidad State again had first-and-second with just one out, but Reid got out of it again with a pair of punchouts.

Reid's magic kept Garden City in front, and in the bottom of the fourth, Chacon delivered a little insurance with an RBI double to left. How fortuitous was that? Well, the next time the Trojans came to the plate, Gandert clubbed a solo shot to center to make it a one-run game again.

It stayed that way until the sixth, when the Broncbusters padded Reid's lead with McKayla Encinias's run-scoring triple and Chacon's RBI extra base hit. Powley sprinkled in an RBI single before a Trinidad State error allowed Garden City to stretch the lead to five.

But there were some anxious moments in the top of the seventh. The Trojans loaded the bases; then scored a run on an error by Maestretti in center. The next batter, Gabby Vaarela, doubled home two on a shot to right, which was followed by Sydney Stewart's RBI double that made it 8-7. But Reid finally settled down and froze Gandert with an 0-2 fastball to end the game.

Reid picked up her second win of the season giving up seven runs on 14 hits in seven innings for Garden City