GCCC Comeback Falls Short 12-8 To KCK

Wichita, KS (westernkansasnews.com)  The Garden City Community College Baseball team did well early, but could not sustained that momentum and lost 12-8 to Kansas City, Kansas CC in a game that saw two lightning delays and had to be resumed early Sunday morning.

Game Highlights

Garden City started out well when Rocky DeSantis clubbed a three run homer to left center for his eighth blast of the year giving Garden City a 3-0 lead off Hunter Phillips (9-6).  Phillips allowed a two RBI triple to Tyler Tucker in the second giving GCCC a 4-0 lead. Phillips would settle down and lasted eight innings only allowing one run through the rest of his time on the mound.  During that stretch Garden City would give up twelve unanswered runs.

Kansas City, KS added four runs in the 3rd off GCCC starting pitcher Chris Bonk (10-1) who was looking for his eleventh win, but instead suffered his first loss.   Garrett McKinzie capped off the scoring with a three run homer to left for his eighth long ball of the year to tie the game at 4-4.

The game’s first lightning delay Saturday night came just before the fifth inning.  After play resumed the Blue Devils scored 4 runs to grab an 8-4lead, added two more in the sixth and two in the eighth.  The combination of Phillips pitching and Tanner Thibodeau’s three hit, three RBI game sparked the Blue Devils big lead.

Garden City resumed the game in the ninth and touched up KCK reliever Jonathan May for three runs.  DeSantis completed a five RBI game with a two run double to deep center scoring both Tucker and Kaleb Zimmer who had to slide around the tag of catcher Garrett McKinzie.  Nolan Barrientos added a single, Tyler Alitz a fielder’s choice and Frankie Alvarez walked before Dalton Cook hit a grounder to short which Zane Mapes beat a sliding in Alvarez to the bag in ending the game.

Garden City (1-1 in tourney) will comeback at 1:30 Sunday to play Seward County. The Saints beat the Broncbusters three out of four earlier this season, one of those wins was a come from behind last at bat victory in the series finale 6-5.  Seward opened the tournament with a 8-7 loss to Hutchinson and eliminated Butler Saturday 8-7.  Taco Bell pre-game show begins at 1:15, first pitch is at 1:30pm.  The winner of that game would not play again until Monday at 4pm.