Garden City, Kansas -- In a season-opening series against Garden City CC, the Indian Hills offense looked to be in mid-season or late-season form, pounding out 62 hits and scoring 52 runs in taking three of four games from their hosts. IHCC swept a Saturday doubleheader by scores of 12-10 and 13-5, then erupted for 21 runs over the final two innings in winning the first game Sunday, 21-11, before dropping their only game of the weekend, 12-6.
Playing a Broncbusters team that already had 15 games under its belt, Indian Hills didn't waste much time in cranking up its offense, pouring across eight runs in the 5th inning in its season opener. The Falcons, who slammed four homers, break a 2-2 tie with a pair of runs in the 8th inning to secure the win. Luis Gimenez, Dillon Nelson, Jacob Rhinesmith -- all returners from last year's Falcon squad -- and Ryan Humeniuk all went deep. Freshman catcher Zachary Fascia was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Gimenez, Rhinesmith and Joshmar Doran each had a two-hit game. Fascia came on in relief to save the win for Zachary Lauzon with a scoreless inning.
Game two on Saturday saw the Falcons bang out 15 hits and score four runs in the 1st, and three in both the 4th and 6th innings. Gimenez hit for the cycle, scoring three times and driving in four runs. Rhinesmith was 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs. Nelson, Fascia, Lane Harvey and Humeniuk had two hits each and Harvey drove in three runs. Markus Gregson started and allowed only one hit and an unearned run with two walks and four Ks in three innings. Ray Nolan notched the victory in relief, throwing one-hit baseball over four innings with a walk and three strikeouts. The Falcons outhit the Busters, 15-3.
Trailing 5-0 heading into the top of the 6th in the opening game on Sunday, the Falcons exploded for 10 runs in the 6th and put 11 more on the board in the 7th to make it three straight wins to start the season. It was a 20-hit effort for IHCC with Gimenez accounting for his second consecutive 4-for-4 game. He scored twice and drove in two. Nelson, Justin King and Humeniuk had three hits apiece and King was productive in the middle of the order with a homer and five RBIs. Nelson, Rhinesmith and Humeniuk combined for nine runs-batted-in and eight different Falcons scored at least two runs. Will Zimmerman chipped in a single and a triple and scored three runs. Jacob Thiessen went the first five innings on the mound and got the win.
Garden City salvaged the final game of the series, jumping off to a 9-0 lead after four innings. Gimenez capped a superb start to his sophomore season, going 2-for-5. Rhinesmith had a single, double and triple, Christian Pena slugged a pair of doubles and Zimmerman and Noah Renaud also had two-hit efforts. Indian Hills used five pitchers with Doran the most effective, going 3 1/3 innings and permitting two hits and no runs with no walks and two Ks. Starter D.J. DePiero took the loss.
The Falcons emerged from the weekend with a team batting average of .437. Gimenez hit .667 (12-for-18), Rhinesmith .556 (10-for-18) and Nelson .462 (6-for-13). Humeniuk drove in eight runs and Rhinesmith, King and Gimenez seven each. Gimenez and Rhinesmith combined to score 15 runs.
Indian Hills is slated to play a four-game series against Eastern Oklahoma State College in Wilburton, Okla. this weekend.