By John Mesh
The Hutchinson Community College softball team swept a pair of non-league run-rule games from the Friends University junior varsity Sunday afternoon at Fun Valley and extended their winning streak to 18 straight games.
Hutchinson won the first game 8-0 (5 innings, run-rule) and the second game 9-1 (6 innings, run-rule).
Hutchinson improved to 27-5 overall and 17-1 at home.
It was Sophomore Day for the Blue Dragons. Sophomores on the Blue Dragon roster are Brooke Backhaus, Emily Dice, Bailey Backhaus, Haley Kruger, Annie Kealey, Brie Brawner, Morgan Tomlinson and Kathrina Marx.
Blue Dragon pitchers Tomlinson and Mia Willams combined for a two-hit shutout against the Falcons in the first game. Tomlinson (13-2) allowed one hit, walked none and struck out four. In one inning, Williams allowed one hit, walked none and struck out one.
Hutchinson’s Brooke Backhaus put the Dragons on the board in the bottom of the first inning with a two-run double to the left field fence for a 2-0 lead.
Friends’ JV pitcher Ainsley McGill took the loss. She allowed eight runs (five earned) on 11 hits (including a homer), walked two and struck out one.
In the bottom of the second inning, Hutchinson’s Kaibryn Kruger hit a groundball and the Friends’ fielder threw the ball over the first baseman’s head to make the score 3-0. Tailor Golly then scorched a line drive for a two-run single to make the score 5-0.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Golly’s RBI double and Brie Brawner’s opposite-field RBI single made the score 7-0.
Haley Kruger belted a lead-off homer in the bottom of the fifth to give the Blue Dragons an 8-0 run-rule victory.
Brooke Backhaus had three hits for the Blue Dragons, including a double. Kaibryn Kruger and Golly had two doubles each. Golly drove in three runs and Brooke Backhaus two. Kaibryn Kruger scored three runs, Golly two and Haley Kruger two.
Friends’ hits in the first game were a triple by Keira Cunningham and a double by Chloe Young.
In the second game, Aubree Thomas started on the mound for the Blue Dragons. She pitched the first four innings and improved her record to 11-2. In four innings, she allowed two hits, one earned run, walked none and struck out three.
Jessica Schmidt pitched two innings of relief for the Blue Dragons and allowed no hits and walked none. In the top of the fifth inning, Schmidt recorded a groundout putout and two strikeouts. In the sixth, she struck out two more batters to give her four for the game.
Hutchinson scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Kaibryn Kruger belted a line-drive RBI triple to center field, Golly hit a pitch to the left field fence for an RBI double and Brooke Backhaus scored Golly with a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Blue Dragons scored two more runs in the bottom of the third inning to lead 5-0.
Cunningham belted a solo homer in the top of the fourth inning to cut Friends’ deficit to 5-1, but the Blue Dragons also recorded a 6-4-3 double play in the frame. Mekenzi Humphers singled for the Falcons’ other hit.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Hutchinson’s Dice led off with a hit, stole second base and third base and scored on Bailey Backhaus’ sacrifice fly to give Hutchinson a 6-1 lead.
Bailey Backhaus belted a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth inning to increase Hutchinson’s lead to 7-1.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Brawner dropped a blooper to left field for an RBI single. Then Gabby Stauffer beat a throw at the plate to give Addi Lutz a sacrifice fly for the 9-1 final score.
The Blue Dragons collected 15 hits off Friends JV pitchers Cadence Magana and Gracie Spaetgeans. Hutchinson scored nine runs (all earned), walked three times and did not strike out.
Stauffer, the clean-up hitter for the Dragons, had four hits to lead the offensive attack, including two doubles. Hutchinson’s top three hitters Bailey Backhaus, Kaibryn Kruger and Golly each had two hits. Kaibryn Kruger, Golly and Stauffer each scored two runs. Bailey Backhaus and Brawner each drove in two runs.
The Blue Dragons, in first place in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Western Division with 19-1 league record, have six crucial league doubleheaders left on the regular-season schedule.
Hutchinson will play Butler County Community College in a 2 p.m. doubleheader Monday at East Park in El Dorado. The game was originally scheduled for Friday but was changed because of weather.
Tuesday’s doubleheader at Labette Community College in Parsons was cancelled.
The Blue Dragons will play a Palm Sunday doubleheader (April 13) at Seward County Community College. The twinbill at Saints Field starts at 1 p.m.
Hutchinson will host a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Colby Community College on April 16 at Fun Valley.
Hutchinson’s final three doubleheaders are on the road, starting with an 1 p.m. twinbill at Garden City on April 17 (Tangemann Softball Complex).
The Blue Dragons play a 3 p.m. doubleheader on April 23 at Dodge City (Legends Park) and a 1 p.m. twinbill April 26 at Barton Community College (Cougar Field in Great Bend).
The Region VI Division I softball tournament is scheduled for May 2-5 at Dodge City’s Legends Park.
Hutchinson Blue Dragon baseball team swept by Cloud County at Concordia
The Hutchinson Community College baseball team dropped both ends of a road doubleheader Sunday at Concordia’s Doyen Field against Cloud County.
Cloud County won the first game 5-2 and the second game 16-4.
Hutchinson dropped to 26-11 overall (8-8 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Western Division, 8-7 in road games). Cloud County improved to 26-11 overall (15-5 in the Jayhawk West, 14-3 at home).
Hutchinson and the Cloud County split a Jayhawk West doubleheader Thursday at Hobart-Detter Field in Hutchinson’s Carey Park. Hutchinson won the first game 2-1 and lost the second game 13-5.
In Game 1 Sunday, the Blue Dragons scored two runs in the top of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. Quinn Maher had an RBI triple to drive in Anthony Mazza and scored on a wild pitch.
Cloud County took the lead for good at 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning and tacked on two more runs.
In the second game, the Thunderbirds jumped out to a 3-0 lead at the end of three innings.
The Blue Dragon baseball team plays a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Butler Community College on Thursday and hosts the Grizzlies in a 1 p.m. twinbill on Saturday.
HutchCC plays a 2 p.m. single-game on April 15 against Southeast Community College in Beatrice, Neb.
The Blue Dragons host a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Colby Community College on April 17 at Hobart-Detter Field and then play a doubleheader against the Trojans at 1 p.m. at Young Memorial Field in Colby.
Hutchinson hosts the Sterling College junior varsity at 2 p.m. on April 22.
The Blue Dragons host Garden City Community College in a 1 p.m. doubleheader April 24 at Williams Stadium in Garden City, and then will host a 1 p.m. doubleheader against the Broncbusters on April 26.
Hutchinson will travel to Tiger Ballpark in Arkansas City for a 1 p.m. single game against the Cowley College Tigers on April 28.
Hutchinson’s final four-game league series will be played against Pratt. The Blue Dragons and Beavers play a 1 p.m. doubleheader May 1 at Hobart-Detter Field, and then play a 1 p.m. doubleheader May 3 at Stanion Field in Pratt.