Charlie Box shot a 2-under 70 in the final round of the Firekeeper Open on Tuesday to place in an individual tie for seventh and led the Blue Dragon men’s golf team to a fourth-place finish. (Steve Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information).
Blue Dragon Sports Information
Sophomore Charlie Box rallied from a rough second round to finish in the individual Top 10 and lead the No. 2-ranked Hutchinson Community College men’s golf team to a fourth-place team finish at the Washburn Firekeeper Open Tuesday at the Firekeeper Country Club in Mayetta.
The Blue Dragons posted the second-best team round of the final round on Tuesday with a 3-over 291.
The Blue Dragons counted scored from Box (70), Louis Ross (73), Jack Northgraves (74) and Jaydon Carruthers (74).
Only team champion Oklahoma Christian’s final round of 280 topped the Blue Dragons on Tuesday.
OCU won the team title by 10 strokes after a 54-hole total of 859.
Central Oklahoma was second at 869, second-round leader Concordia University (Minn.) was third at 870, followed by the Blue Dragons a 874 and tournament host Washburn University at 882.
Box jumped five places from the second to the third round and was the only Blue Dragon to place in the individual top 10. Box finished tied for seventh at 215 after rounds of 69, 76 and 70.
Northgraves was a Top 20 placer, tying for 16th at 220. Northgraves posted rounds of 74, 72 and 74.
Ross tied for 25th at 222 with rounds of 75, 74 and 73. Carruthers tied for 29th at 223 (77-72-74). David Razinskas shot 83 in the final round and tied for 74th at 230 (71-76-83).
Individual player Corey Scullion posted his tournament low of 74 on Tuesday and tied for 61st at 228 (77-77-74).
The Blue Dragons will play in the Jayhawk Conference Championship next Monday and Tuesday (54 holes) at Colbert Hills Country Club in Manhattan.
FIREKEEPER OPEN FINAL RESULTS
Firekeeper CC, Mayetta – Par 72
Team
1. Oklahoma Christian 289-290-280—859
2. Central Oklahoma 285-291-293—869
3. Concordia (Minn.) 287-285-298—870
4. Hutchinson 289-294-291—874
5. Washburn 299-285-298—882
INDIVIDUAL TOP 10
1. Blake Saffell, Washburn 68-68-71—207
2. Josh Esterley, Concordia 67-73-69—209
T3. Oskari Nikku, Oklahoma Christian 70-72-69—211
T3. Leandro Mihaich, Oklahoma Christian 73-71-67—211
T3. Nicholas Canales, Central Oklahoma 69-74-68—211
6. Jose Manuel Peralta, Harding 72-67-72—213
T7. Charlie Box, Hutchinson 69-76-70—215
T7. Rhys Nicholas, Dodge City 71-71-73—215
T7. Exequiel Rodriguez, Oklahoma Christian 70-74-71—215
T7. Bennett Baldwin, Central Oklahoma 70-70-75—215
OTHER BLUE DRAGON GOLFERS
T16. Jack Northgraves 74-72-74—220
T25. Louis Ross 75-74-73—222
T29. Jaydon Carruthers 77-72-74—223
T74. David Razinskas 71-76-83—230
T61. Corey Scullion (I) 77-77-74—228
Blue Dragon softball team splits doubleheader against Grizzlies
By John Mesh
Hutchinson Tribune
Two long winning streaks by both teams were snapped and a doubleheader split was gained Monday at East Park in El Dorado.
In Game 1, No. 17 Butler Community College snapped Hutchinson’s record-setting 18-game winning streak with three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning (including a walk-off home run) to defeat the Blue Dragons 8-6.
However, with an 9-7 victory in Game 2, Hutchinson snapped Butler’s 10-game winning streak.
Hutchinson now is 28-6 overall (20-2 Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference, first place in the Jayhawk Conference, 11-5 on the road).
Butler CC’s record is 24-6 overall (13-5 for third place in KJCCC, 9-3 at home).
Hutchinson sophomore ace pitcher Morgan Tomlinson started on the mound for the Blue Dragons in the first game. She was replaced by Jessica Schmidt in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Tomlinson (13-3) pitched four innings, allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits, struck out two and walked two.
After Schmidt pitched three innings (she allowed two earned runs on five hits, walked one and struck out none), Tomlinson re-entered the game on the mound in the bottom of the eighth inning. She pitched an additional two-thirds of an inning, allowed two hits (including the home run).
In the bottom of the first inning of Game 1, Blue Dragon left fielder Brie Brawner, a sophomore from Haven, made two nice catches to keep the Grizzlies off the scoreboard.
In the top of the second inning, Haley Kruger singled in two runs and Emily Dice singled in another to give Hutchinson a 3-0 lead. Butler scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning to cut Hutchinson’s lead to 3-2.
The Blue Dragons did not score in the top of the third inning and the Grizzlies tied the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the frame.
Hutchinson scored two runs in the top of the fourth inning for a 5-3 lead. Emily Dice scored on a wild pitch and Tailor Golly added a sacrifice fly to center field. Tomlinson pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth for the Blue Dragons.
The Grizzlies replaced starting pitcher Ellie Randall with Addy Ewing in the top of the fifth inning. In four innings, Randall allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits, walked one and struck out one. Ewing retired the Blue Dragons 1-2-3.
Schmidt pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the sixth inning for the Blue Dragons and did not allow the Grizzlies to score. Hutchinson did not score in the top of the seventh inning.
Butler sent the game into the eighth inning at 5-5 with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Blue Dragons took a 6-5 lead in the top of the eighth inning on an RBI double to right field by Haley Kruger, which scored Brawner.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Butler tied the score at 6-6 with an RBI single by Jenna Jobe and won the game on a walk-off two-run homer by Graci Hock to left center field off Tomlinson.
Ewing got the victory in Game 1 and improved to 4-1. Randall and Ewing combined for eight innings, allowed six runs (five earned) on nine hits, walked one and struck out two.
Haley Kruger had three hits for the Blue Dragons. Kaibryn Kruger and Brawner each had two hits. Haley Kruger drove in three of the Blue Dragons’ five runs.
Jobe and Chloe Cardona each had three hits for the Grizzlies and Hock two, including the walk-off homer. Jobeand Hock both scored two runs. Hock had three RBIs.
In the second game, Aubree Thomas, Tomlinson and Schmidt shared pitching duties for the Blue Dragons. In seven innings, the trio combined to allow seven runs (six earned) on 12 hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
Hutchinson scored four runs in the top of the first inning on an RBI double to left field by Gabby Stauffer, an RBI walk to Addi Lutz and a two-RBI single by Haley Kruger. Butler changed pitchers.
Butler answered with three runs in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI double by Jobe and a two-run homer by Kylie Forner.
In the top of the second inning, Kaibryn Kruger belted a one-out solo homer to right center field to give the Blue Dragons a 5-3 advantage.
The Grizzlies cut the Dragons’ lead to 5-4 in the bottom of the third inning on a throwing error.
The Blue Dragons scored three runs on four hits in the top of the third inning to lead 8-4. Bailey Backhaus single in a run and Kaibryn Kruger singled in two more.
Butler scored three runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth inning to cut the Blue Dragons’ lead to 8-7. Kyler Demel had an RBI double and Kyrsten Moran singled in two runs. HutchCC’s Thomas was replaced on the mound by Tomlinson.
In the top of the fifth inning, Hutchinson’s Kaibryn Kruger belted a two-out solo homer over the left field fence to give the Blue Dragons the 9-7 final cushion.
The Blue Dragons have five crucial league doubleheaders left on the regular-season schedule.
The Blue Dragons will play a Palm Sunday doubleheader against Seward County Community College at Saints Field in Liberal. 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).
Butler hosts a 1 p.m. doubleheader Wednesday against Seward County.
The Grizzlies hit the road for a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday at Colby Community College and a 1 pm. Central time/noon Mountain time doubleheader at Goodland against Fort Hays Tech Northwest.
The Region VI Division I softball tournament is scheduled for May 2-5 at Dodge City’s Legends Park.
Former Blue Dragon coach Tommy DeSalme named new men’s basketball coach at Garden City CC
From Garden City CC Sports Information and gobroncbusters.com
Tommy DeSalme, who served as Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball coach from 2021-24 and posted a 75-28 record (.728 winning percentage) with an Ellte Eight finish in 2023-24, was named the new head men’s basketball coach at Garden City Community College.
DeSalme officially took the reins of the Broncbusters during a press conference Tuesday afternoon in the Hall of Fame Room at the Dennis Perryman Athletic Complex on the Garden City CC campus.
“This is an incredible honor,” DeSalme said. “But truth be told, this whole year has been a whirlwind. A year ago, I was the head coach at Hutch, and we were in the Elite 8. Then an opportunity came up for me to go back home to Bartlesville, Okla.
“And all I can say is that I’ve learned so much over these past 12 months both as a coach and as an educator. What I learned is that I’m a junior college guy.”
Garden City is DeSalme’s seventh coaching stop having previously served as the head boys coach at Bartlesville High School in Oklahoma.
Before landing the job at Hutchinson, DeSalme spent 12 seasons as the head coach at Cowley College, becoming the program’s winningest coach with a record of 239-143.
The 2021 Tigers finished 24-5, tied for the Jayhawk East title, won the Region VI tournament for the first time in more than half a century and advanced all the way to the NJCAA National Championship Game where they lost to conference-rival Coffeyville.
During an illustrious 12-year career at Cowley, DeSalme was named the league’s Coach of the Year twice (2010, 2021).
They won or tied for three Jayhawk East crowns (2010, 2020, 2021), played in two Region VI Tournament championship games (2012, 2021) and reached the regional semifinals five times (2011, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2021).
DeSalme’s first stop in the Jayhawk Conference was at Independence Community College in 2008, where he compiled a 45-19 mark over two seasons.
In his first year, the Pirates reached as high as No. 16 in the polls and finished second in the Jayhawk East with a 16-2 record.
Prior to Independence, DeSalme spent one season as the head coach at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina.
The Coyotes went 28-4 in 2007, won the KCAC regular-season and postseason championships, reached as high as No. 6 in the national rankings and put together a 19-game winning streak.
Kansas Wesleyan earned a berth in the NAIA National Tournament and advanced to the second round.
As the head coach at Sterling College, where he took a team that was near the bottom of the conference standings and turned them into perennial contenders.
DeSalme was 84-67 during his tenure, which included a 60-30 mark in conference play.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats sign Blue Dragon alumnus Tramel Walthour
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats signed 6-foot-3, 273-pound defensive lineman Tramel Walthour on Monday, according to the CFL Transactions page.
Walthour, 24-year-old from Hinesville, Ga., signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent on May 3, 2024.
In 2024, Walthour made seven tackles (2 solos, 5 assists) and a half-ack in three preseason games. The Ravens released him on Aug. 26, 2024.
Collegiately, Walthour played one season at Hutchinson Community College in 2018 making 16 tackles (9 solos, 7 assists), one tackle for loss and one sack in 10 games for the Blue Dragons.
He helped the Blue Dragons finish the season 9-3 beating Navarro College in the Salt City Bowl.
Walthour transferred to the University of Georgia (2020-23). He made 50 tackles (28 solos, 22 assists), 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and two pass breakups in 53 games for the Bulldogs.
In 2023, Walthour made 11 tackles (8 solos, 3 assists), one tackle for loss and one sack in 14 games. He is a two-time CFP national champion.