The Garden City Broncbusters enjoyed a pair walk off wins in extra innings over the Seward County Saints Saturday afternoon and evening at Williams Stadium in Garden City. The Busters won the first game 2-1 in eight innings and took game two 9-8 in eight innings. The Saints had not lost to Garden City since 2022 and had won 11 in a row against their rivals.
Game one was a pitcher’s dual. The temperature was in the low 50’s with the wind blowing straight in for game one. The Saints scored first. Nathan Hopkins legged out a double after a line drive down the left field line. Kotaro Wakui ripped a line drive which was caught at the wall in right allowing Hopkins to tag and reach third. Brooks Barber lofted a sac fly to left to score Hopkins and five the Saints the 1-0 lead. SCCC held GCCC scoreless in the sixth. In the bottom of the seventh, there were two outs with a runner on second. Seward needed one out to secure the series. But a bloop fly ball single to left scored home the tying run. Garden scored the winning run in the eighth on three singles. The second singled landed between Seward’s pitcher and catcher. Seward only mustered four hits as 16-24 outs were on fly outs with the wind blowing in at 15-25 miles per hour. The Saints wasted a strong pitching outing by Epic Touch Player of the Game Ashton Creighton who pitched 6 and 2/3 innings allowing one run.
Seward built an 8-2 lead in game two but found a way to lose. The Busters scored two in the first. SCCC rallied with a six run fourth. Ryan Todd led off the inning ripping a double down the left field line. Hayden Ramage singled to left. Blaine Chancey’s infield single scored a run to make it 2-1. Jacob Urias singled. Grant Cox ripped a three RBI double to right center. The Seward offense was done for the day. They had two singles the rest of the game. GCCC gifted the Saints two runs in the sixth on three walks and a HBP. Nathan Hopkins grounded a single to center to score a run and Hayden Ramage walked with the bases loaded. But Seward left the bases loaded with one out and didn’t add on to the lead. The Broncbusters road high in the bottom of the sixth with six runs all coming with two outs to tie the game at 8-8. In the bottom of the eighth, a hit batter, sac bunt, a walk, and a single allowed the Busters to celebrate their second walk off win of the day. Both teams had seven hits and both teams had one error. Ryan Todd was Epic Touch Player of the Game going 2-3 with two walks. Nathan Hopkins was 2-4.
Garden City is 20-25 and 7-17 in the Jayhawk West. Seward falls to 21-26 overall and 8-16 in the Jayhawk West. The Saints play at Pratt Thursday at 1pm with Saints Dugout Show at 12:45 on 1270 and 92.3.
