By John Mesh
Thanks to a walk-off RBI single by Brooke Backhaus in the bottom of the seventh in Game 2, the Hutchinson Community College softball team swept a doubleheader from Garden City Community College Tuesday at Fun Valley.
The Blue Dragons won the first game 5-2 behind sophomore pitcher Morgan Tomlinson, who hurled a complete game and recorded a career-high nine strikeouts. She was the third HutchCC pitcher in the nightcap and improved her record to 9-2.
The Blue Dragons scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to win the second game 10-9. Brooke Backhaus stroked her walk-off RBI single to left field for a sweep.
The Blue Dragons’ record is 17-5 overall, 11-1 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference and 9-1 at home.
Garden City dropped to 14-12 overall (6-6 KJCCC).
In the first game, Garden City scored one run in the top of the first inning, but Hutchinson scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Gabby Stauffer, Brie Brawner (sophomore from Haven) and Addi Lutz drove in runs.
Brawner and Lutz pulled off a double steal with Brawner scoring from third base.
Garden City scored another run in the top of the seventh in the seven-inning game.
Tomlinson allowed four hits and two walks in improving her season record to 8-2.
Vina Ballesta Vargas (8-6) took the loss for the Garden City Broncbusters. She allowed 10 hits, four earned runs, walked one and struck out four.
Bailey Backhaus, Kaibryn Kruger, Stauffer and Lutz each had two hits for the Blue Dragons. Hutchinson stole three bases. Daryelin Rivas Chavez doubled and Mara Vonk homered for Garden City.
In Game 2, Garden City scored two runs in the top of the first inning, but Hutchinson scored five runs on two hits and two Broncbuster errors in the bottom of the frame to take a 5-2 lead.
Stauffer smacked a three-run double and scored on a fielder’s choice. Brooke Backhaus scored on a fielder’s choice, Golly scored on a wild pitch and Kabryn Kruger scored on a fielder’s choice.
Stauffer doubled in the bottom of the second inning but the Blue Dragons could not plate a run.
Garden City cut Hutchinson’s lead to 5-4 with a two-run homer in the top of the third inning.
Hutchinson scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Garden City tallied four runs in the top of the fifth (three unearned runs because of two Blue Dragon throwing errors) and one more in the top of the sixth for a 9-7 lead.
The Hutchinson rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning for the come-from-behind win.
Bailey Backhaus led the Blue Dragons’ 12-hit attack in Game 2 with four hits. Stauffer had three hits and Lutz two. Brooke Backhaus drove in four runs and Brawner two. Tailor Golly and Stauffer each scored three runs and Bailey Backhaus two.
Stauffer had two doubles. Bailey Backhaus and Lutz each had doubles.
Garden City collected eight hits, including three by Maria Avenado Fori, who belted a home runs and drive in three runs. Myasen Kurene-Iwakau also homered and drove in three runs. Rivas Chavez had two hits, including a double.
Garden City made six errors and Hutchinson two.
Chiara Olison (6-3), the first Garden City pitcher, allowed 10 runs (five earned) win 11 hits to pick up the loss.
Hutchinson’s Tailor Golly and Aubree Thomas were named the KJCCC Division I Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week for Week 7 of the 2025 season.
Golly was the KJCCC Player of the Week for Week 7 (March 9-15). She had a five home-run week in a 4-0 week for the Blue Dragons.
Golly had a home run and five RBIs in a doubleheader sweep of Seward County at Fun Valley and then launched four home runs with five RBIs in a doubleheader sweep of Colby.
For the week, Golly hit .615 (8 for 13) with a slugging percentage of 1.769 and an on-base percentage of .706.
She had three multi-hit games, including a 3-for-3 effort in Game 2 at Colby. Defensively, Golly was perfect in 23 chances.
Thomas, a freshman, was named Pitcher of the Week. Thomas went 2-0 last week with a pair of complete-game victories to move to 6-2 for the season.
In two starts, Thomas pitched 12 innings and allowed just nine total hits and two runs. She struck out 11, including a season-high eight against Colby on Tuesday. Thomas had an earned run average of 0.58 for the week.
The Blue Dragons will host Cancer Awareness Day Saturday at Fun Valley. HutchCC hosts Dodge City Community College in a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
The Blue Dragons host Barton County Community College next Wednesday. Game times are to be announced.
Hutchinson plays a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Pratt Community College on March 29.
Garden City plays a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday at Liberal against Seward County Community College.
Halstead senior Karenna Gerber leads Pittsburg State women’s basketball team to NCAA II Elite Eight
The Pittsburg State University women’s basketball team rallied from a 15-point deficit to defeat Southwest Minnesota State 85-82 Monday night to advance to the the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the third time in program history.
The game was played at PSU’s John Lance Arena.
Karenna Gerber, the eight-team regional’s Most Outstanding Player, poured in 34 points and 10 rebounds in 35 minutes of action. Gerber is a senior from Halstead High School.
While the Gorillas (32-3) needed every one of her 34 points, one point short of her career-best scoring effort, Gerber’s final rebound of the night helped seal the Pitt State win.
Leading 83-82, Pitt State’s Grace Pyle (senior from McPherson) missed a driving layup with 11 ticks remaining in regulation.
Gerber secured the offensive rebound and kicked the ball out to Maycee James, who was fouled by the Mustangs Peyton Blandin with 8.4 seconds to go. James calmly hit both free throws for the game’s final margin.
SMSU (28-5) called timeout and advanced the ball into frontcourt. The Mustangs’ Audrey Swanson received the ball in the waning seconds and attempted a game-tying 3-pointer, but Gerber deflected the shot as time expired.
Bri Stoltzman and Swanson, a pair of All-Tournament Team selections, combined for 58 points for SMSU, which knocked off the tournament’s No. 2 seed Concordia-St. Paul Friday and No. 3 seed Fort Hays State Saturday.
Stoltzman tallied 31 points, while Swanson added 27 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Blandin added 13 points, including a clutch 3-pointer that drew SMSU within a point, at 83-82, with 40 seconds left in the game.
Pyle, who was limited to 1-for-8 shooting in the first 20 minutes of play, exploded for 18 second-half points. James also scored 11 of her 12 points after halftime. Pyle joined Gerber as an All-Tournament Team selection.
Pitt State will now advance to the Elite Eight slated for March 24-28 at Pittsburgh, Pa. The Gorillas previously made Elite Eight appearances in 2012 and 2016. The NCAA announced seedings for the Elite Eight Tuesday night.
Pitt State completed a perfect 15-0 home record during the 2024-25 campaign. The Gorillas posted an 11-0 home record during the 1992-93 season.