GCHS claims WAC win against rival Dodge, 10-8
Story Credit: GCHS Athletics
Historically, it has never been an easy task for the Garden City Buffaloes’ baseball team to beat its Class 6A and Western Athletic Conference rival Dodge City.
Year after year, series after series, game after game, it seemed as though the Red Demons found ways to upend the Buffs.
On Tuesday in Dodge City at Legion Field, the Buffs reversed that trend in claiming a thrilling 10-8 victory over the Demons.
In doing so, they improved their season record to 7-3 and now have a 5-game winning streak. They also remained unbeaten in the WAC, now standing at 4-0 with single wins over Great Bend and Dodge and a doubleheader win over Liberal.
“If this would have been last year, we would have been frustrated and not found a way to win,” said first year head coach Lance Allred. “Now, the guys are being resilient and finding different ways to win these games. It was stressful, but we found a way and that’s what counts.”
Next up for the Buffs will be another pivotal outing for the Buffs when they host perennial WAC power Hays in a 6 p.m. single game at Clint Lightner Field.
It was a game in which the Buffs never trailed, scoring a single run in the first on an RBI sacrifice fly by Culden Plankenhorn that scored Jonathan Almanza.
Two more runs came home in the third for the Buffs, when Almanza and Jakobe Rathburn drew consecutive walks, Drew Strecker reached on a sacrifice error that scored Almanza and Cameron Barrett drove the other run in with a fielder’s choice RBI, making it 3-0.
The Buffs added another run in the top of the fifth when four consecutive batters drew walks, with Gio Benitez getting the RBI free pass.
Dodge City finally broke through, scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 4-all. Rathbun came in to relieve Eli Steinmetz, who tossed 4.1 innings and finished with 74 pitches.
After seeing their early lead disappear, the Buffs came back in the top of the sixth when Andrew Wessels reached on an error and Rathbun delivered an RBI double, making it 5-4.
The Buffs then seemed to gather all the momentum in the top of the seventh with a 5-run outburst as Culden Plankenhorn scored on a passed ball, Rathbun earned a bases-loaded walk for another RBI and Strecker stroked a 3-run triple to center to clear the bases.
That 10-4 lead looked comfortable until the Demons came to bat in the last of the seventh.
Dodge City pieced together a combination of hits and walks to score four runs before any outs. The Demons then put runners on first and second with one out. With Strecker on the mound, Dodge City popped out to second baseman Ethan Ackerman on a hit-and-run play that saw the runner on second, taking off to third only to have Ackerman throw back to Almanza at second base to get the double play and end the game.
“Eli (Steinmetz) was outstanding again,” Allred said of his senior starter. “Dodge managed to find a few holes when the ball was not hit hard and it gave some momentum to them. We went to Jakobe and he did a good job (1.2 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts).”
Strecker came in for the final three outs, giving up 2 hits, 4 runs, walked four and had three strikeouts.
“The strike zone was a little smaller than usual, so that made throwing strikes a little more challenging,” Allred said. “For as close as the game got, it was a little stressful, but we battled through the adversity and came away with a big win.”
That narrow strike zone resulted in the Buffs drawing 11 walks from Demon pitchers, while the Buffs three hurlers issued 7 free passes.
Steinmetz’ 74 pitches will prevent him from pitching in Friday’s single game against Hays as he would have had to limit his outing to 60 pitches for a 3-day rest.
“The win feels good,” Allred said. “We’re still improving and still can play better. But that’s what we’re doing – piecing together enough plays to find ways to win.”
Allred said Gavin Wells will get the start on Friday against the Indians.
“We’ve got enough different people that we can bring them in, give them the ball and let them throw,” Allred said. “If we need to change, we’ve got that flexibility.”
Rathbun received 4 walks and was 1-for-1 with an RBI; Strecker also 1-for-1 with his 3-4un triple while Culden Plankenhorn, Barrett, Benitez and Ackerman had an RBI each.
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Western Athletic Conference
Tuesday, April 7
At Legion Field/Dodge City
GARDEN CITY 10, DODGE CITY 8
Garden City…102…011…5…–…10…6…4
Dodge City…000…040…4…–…8…8…4
Pitching—Garden City: Steinmetz, Rathbun (5), Strecker (7) and C. Plankenhorn; Dodge City: Gifford, Martinez (5) and Torrez. 2B—Garden City (Wessels, Rathbun); Dodge City (Gonzalez). 3B—Garden City (Strecker).
