Concordia, KS- The Cloud County Thunderbird baseball team was swept in a four game conference series with Garden City over the weekend. 

The T-Birds had a difficult time stopping the Broncbuster offense that leads the Jayhawk West in several offensive categories. After dropping the first three games, Cloud got a grand slam in the first inning of game four to set the tone for what would be an intense finale to the weekend. 

Emilio Escamilla smacked a grand slam in the bottom of the first off of Garden City starter Brendan Peitsmeyer. Cloud sent eight players to the plate in the first and got singles from Bryce Lievens, Alixon Herrera, and Jacob Grady before Escamilla hit the blast to straight away left field. 

Cloud starter Brandon Mitchell was solid through three innings as the T-Birds carried a 4-1 lead into the 4th. Garden answered with four runs in the fourth to take the lead back. They would hold onto the lead until the 8th when the T-Birds scored two runs to take a 7-6 lead into the 9th. Grady and Herrera led off the inning with singles and scored on RBI's from Escamilla and Luis Landaeta to give Cloud the lead. 

Cloud County closer Cole Otto had pitched a scoreless 8th. He would strike out the first two batters of the ninth and work Garden City eight hole hitter CJ Krainock to a 1-2 count before Krainock legged out a ground ball and extended the inning for the Busters. Krainock then stole second and advanced to third as the throw got by the Cloud County middle infielders. Garden's Alex Nielsen then singled Krainock home to tie the game at seven. The Busters would then add two runs to take the lead from the T-Birds. 

Cloud threatened in the ninth as they loaded the bases with two outs, but Garden City held on to earn the 9-7 win and sweep the series.

Otto was issued the loss despite not allowing an earned run in two strong innings of work.

Jacob Grady was 6-14 on the weekend with two doubles. He has now recorded hits in seven straight games. 

The T-Birds struggled in the first three games of the weekend. Garden City won game one 11-3 and took game two 13-1. The T-Birds fell 17-4 in game three. 

Things will not get any easier for the T-Birds as they will now travel to Hutchinson for a four game set with the Blue Dragons next weekend.