Buffs sweep Liberal; now 3-0 in WAC

Story Credit: GCHS Athletics

[SOUNDCLOUD PLAYER]

When the winning run crossed home plate in the bottom of the seventh inning of Tuesday’s Western Athletic Conference doubleheader with Liberal at Clint Lightner Field, there was a massive celebration by the Garden City Buffaloes baseball team.

It was that moment, perhaps, that might propel the Garden City Buffaloes to bigger and better things as the 2026 season progresses, but for this moment, the 5-4 walk-off victory over Liberal’s Redskins was a moment to remember as it completed the DH sweep after winning the first game, 3-1, on the arm of senior Eli Steinmetz.

In the opening game, the Buffs got on the board with a single run in the bottom of the second when Ryder Plankenhorn was hit by a pitch; Andrew Wessels walked and then the bases were loaded after Ethan Ackerman reached on a bunt single. Jonathan Almanza then hit into a fielder’s choice that scored Plankenhorn.

Two more runs came home in the Buffs’ third. Culden Plankenhorn singled with one out and then Cameron Barrett drilled a triple to right field, scoring Plankenhorn. Ryder Plankenhorn then had an RBI single to center, scoring Barrett to up the lead to 3-0.

The Redskins did get one run in their half of the fifth, getting a double and a run-scoring single. But that would be it.

Steinmetz was brilliant, going the full seven innings, his first complete game on the varsity. He didn’t walk a batter and had eight strikeouts. In the complete game victory, he threw only 77 pitches in the seven innings.

“I throw a curve-slider duo, and it was working very well tonight,” Steinmetz said afterward. “The slider tunnels and moves away from a right-handed hitter. This feels great because we hardly could win a game last year. Getting the walk-off in the last game was really a good feeling because everyone was nervous.”

Allred said it was one of the best pitching performances in recent years, dating back to when he played for the Buffs and then the most recent seasons as an assistant coach.

“He was fantastic,” Allred said. “That first game is who we are and can be. If we play that way we can dictate how the game is played. We had fewer strikeouts at the plate, and we got some key bunts down. It looked a lot better than last week.”

In the nightcap, Liberal got on the board in the top of the third when the Redskins tallied twice off Buffs’ starter Drew Strecker. Strecker, a power pitcher, went 5.1 innings, giving up six hits and two runs, walked two and had 10 strikeouts in a strong outing.

“We got everything out of him that you’d want,” said head coach Lance Allred of Strecker’s 97 pitch count effort. “Our pitchers are doing a better job of throwing strikes and getting the ball in play for the defense, too.”

When the Buffs fell behind in the third, they bounced right back with a four-run uprising. Anthony Ortiz Jr., led off by getting hit by a pitch; Ethan Ackerman then laid down a perfect bunt and reached when the throw to first from shortstop slipped through, allowing Ortiz to score all the way from first and Ackerman ended up on second base.

Ackerman moved to third on a flyout in foul territory to Liberal’s first baseman. Jakobe Rathbun then belted an RBI triple to deep center, scoring Ackerman to tie the score. The Buffs went ahead when Strecker singled to center, scoring Rathbun. Barrett delivered a fielder’s choice groundout, scoring Strecker to up the lead to 4-2.

Going to the seventh with a two-run advantage, the Buffs found themselves in what can only be described as self-destruction because they committed two throwing errors by Rathbun, who had come in to relieve Gavin Wells in the seventh. Those miscues allowed Liberal to tie the score at 4-all.

The big key after those miscues, however, was that Rathbun pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam by striking out the next two batters and then inducing a groundout to second baseman Ackerman to snuff out the potential go-ahead run from scoring.

“It’s a big credit to Jakobe for shaking off the errors and coming up with a huge inning,” Allred said. “We’ve been getting some clutch pitching and we had that in both games today.”

With the Buffs coming up in the bottom of the seventh, Culden Plankenhorn led off with a double, and then had a delayed steal of third base. That proved momentous when Gio Benitez delivered the game-winning at-bat with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Plankenhorn, who had to hold up after Liberal’s centerfielder made a circus catch in the right centerfield gap.

That set off the big celebration at home plate as Plankenhorn and Benitez were mobbed by their teammates.

“Getting a walk-off win like that is a big boost to our confidence,” Allred said. “Big credit to Jakobe for buckling down and getting three outs after making the two errors and getting the bases loaded.”

The result of the twin bill sweep is that the Buffs are now 3-0 in the WAC and 4-3 overall. Liberal falls to 4-4 overall and 0-2 in the WAC. The Buffs will host Goodland on Thursday at Clint Lightner in a non-conference doubleheader. The first pitch is set for 4 p.m.

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Western Athletic Conference

Tuesday, March 31

At Clint Lightner Field

Game 1

GARDEN CITY 3, LIBERAL 1

Liberal…000…010…0…–1…4…0

Garden City…012…000…X…–…3…9…0

Pitching—Liberal: Morris and Betts; Garden City: Steinmetz and C. Plankenhorn. 2B—Liberal (Kappelman, Morris). 3B—Garden City: Barrett.

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Game 2

GARDEN CITY 5, LIBERAL 4

Liberal…002…000…2…–…4…8…1

Garden City…004…000…1…–…5…7…3

Two outs when winning run scored.

Pitching—Liberal: Kappelman, Hernandez (3), Betts (4) and Olmstead; Garden City: Strecker, Wells (6), Rathburn (7) and C. Plankenhorn. 2B—Liberal (Betts); Garden City (C. Plankenhorn, Rathbun).