BLUE DRAGONS SURVIVE STORM TO SPLIT ON OPENING DAY

Ben McLaughlin hits two home runs in Game 1, but Blue Dragon baseball team manages a 2022 season-opening split with Southeast (NE) CC on Thursday in Beatrice, Nebraska.

February 10, 2022

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

BEATRICE, Nebraska – The bats were quiet on opening day for the Hutchinson Community College baseball team, but the Game 2 pitchers were a big reason the Blue Dragons opened 2022 with a doubleheader sweep over Southeast (NE) Community College on Thursday.

Sophomore Ben McLaughlin had his third career multi-home run game, but the Blue Dragons lost to the Storm 9-3 in the 2022 season opener at Christenson Field. The Dragons rebounded in Game 2 for a 2-1 win as four Hutchinson pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts.

The Blue Dragons and Storm were to play a three-game series this week at Hobart-Detter Field, but last week's winter storm left too much snow and ice on certain sections of the field. The series was moved to Beatrice and shortened to a doubleheader on Thursday.

The Blue Dragons combined for seven hits, but stranded 12 runners on base in the season-opening doubleheader. The Dragons were a combined 1 for 17 with runners in scoring position combined.

GAME 2 RECAP
The Blue Dragons had only three hits in the second game, but made them count.

Freshman Booga de la Garza homered in his first career at-bat, which was a solo shot in the second inning for a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Braedyn Sommer hit a one-out triple in the fourth and scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead. That Sommer's hit was the last hit of the day for Hutchinson.

Led by Blue Dragon starter Jackson Blue, the Blue Dragons limited Southeast to one run and four hits.

Blue (1-0) struck out four and walked one with two hits allowed in the first three innings of the game. Ben Dandelet gave up a solo home run, but struck out three in two innings. Chase Torkelson worked three scoreless innings with five strikeouts and only one hit allowed. Kaden Wickersham struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his first career save.

Daniel Bebee had the only other hit in Game 2 for the Blue Dragons. Bebee also threw out one base stealer

Six different Storm pitchers struck out 13 Blue Dragons in the second half.

GAME 1 RECAP
Two McLaughlin home runs – solo shots in the first and fourth innings – were the offensive highlights for the Blue Dragons. Jack Torosian added an RBI single to score Hunter Gotreaux in the fourth inning.

Limited to four hits, the Blue Dragons hit into two double plays and left the bases loaded in the sixth inning.

Southeast quickly erased McLaughlin's first home run with a two-run first inning. The Storm pushed the lead to 4-2 after three innings, but broke the game open with five runs in the fifth inning.

Jack Whitlock (0-1) pitched three innings in his Blue Dragon debut. Sophomore Ryan Schlotzhauer allowed five earned runs with four walks and two hits. He struck out four in 1 2-3 innings. Zane Covey pitched 1-3 inning and Brady Braverman fanned two in one inning.

The Blue Dragons travel to NOC-Enid for a single nine-inning game on Tuesday in Enid, Oklahoma.