Broncbusters snap MCC’s seven-game win streak
GARDEN CITY, Kan. – Garden City Community College’s baseball team snapped McCook Community College’s seven-game winning streak Tuesday with a 15-9 win. The Broncbusters scored seven runs in the fourth inning and kept the Indians off the scoreboard over the final three innings to pick up the win.
“We didn’t play very good today,” said MCC Coach Jon Olsen. “We’ve had a couple other games this year where we haven’t quite played to our potential and we’re still able to come out on top, but today we weren’t able to overcome our mistakes.”
Five Indian pitchers surrendered 13 earned runs on 13 hits, seven walks, three hit batters and 11 strikeouts.
“If you don’t throw strikes and play defense it’s going to be tough to play good baseball, not only did we give up too many free passes, we also were behind in a lot of counts and had to throw predictable pitches on the zone and those pitches got hit hard,” said Olsen.
MCC took a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-out, two-run single by freshman Kieren Cutler (Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador).
The Bronc’s got a leadoff home run in the second by Roy Higinbotham and added four runs in the third off starting pitcher Mikah Targett (Sydney, New South Wales Australia), who pitched 2.1 innings and was charged with five runs on there hits, two walks and three strikeouts.
Freshman Owen Weales (Bowmanville, Ontario) hit an RBI-double in the fourth inning to draw the Indians to 5-3 but Garden City scored one run on a sacrifice fly and Higinbotham hit a three-run homer as the home team took a 12-3 lead. Freshman Santiago Rodriguez (Okotoks, Alberta) pitched one inning and was responsible for three earned runs on three hits and a walk. Sophomore Colby Kaplan (Parker, Colo.) pitched the final two-thirds of the inning and was charged with two earned runs on four hits and a strikeout.
MCC climbed back into the game with a three-run homer by Cutler in the fifth inning and freshman Lucas Munns (Toronto, Ontario) hit a solo shot to close the deficit to 12-7
Sophomore Kaden Noble (Orillia, Ontario) retired GCCC in the fifth with a walk and three straight strikeouts and the Indians struck for a pair of two-out runs on a two-run double by sophomore Ben Heathcock (Little Elm, Texas) to close within three runs, 12-9.
“After getting down 12-3 we climbed back into it but just didn’t have enough to get over the hump,” said Olsen. “We had a crucial baserunning mistake in the seventh that would have made a difference. That was just kind of part of the day, overall we were not sharp.”
After Noble silenced the Broncs in the sixth and seventh, the home team put the first two runners on base before reliever Jeff Bullock (sophomore, Medicine Hat, Alberta) came on and GICC added three runs to lead 15-9. Noble pitched three-plus innings, allowed two earned runs on three walks, one hit and he struck out six. Bullock allowed one run on two hits, a walk and a strikeout in his inning of work.
“Noble was good out of the bullpen and Cutler had a good day, but it was just too “hit-and-miss” after that,” said Olsen.
MCC had 15 hits, led by Cutler who went three-for-four with five RBIs. The Indians also got two-games from Weales, sophomore Hunter Southey (Auckland, New Zealand), freshman Matthew Botticelli (Edmonton, Alberta) and freshman Kon Yoshimura (Nagasaki, Japan).
Garden City improves to 10-18.
MCC goes to 21-6.
The Indians will be home again this weekend to host Otero College in a four-game Region IX series. First pitch for doubleheaders Friday and Saturday will be at 1 p.m. at the Jaycees Sports Complex.
MCC is tied with Northeastern Junior College in first place in the standings after the first weekend at 4-0. Otero (6-16 overall) is tied with Western Nebraska for third place with a 3-1 start.
Up-to-date information about MCC baseball including up-to-date schedule and changes, livestream links for home games, rosters, photos, statistics and more can be found on the MCC Athletics website, www.mccindians.com