DRAGONS REBOUND WITH DH SWEEP AT COFFEYVILLE
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
COFFEYVILLE – Less than 24 hours after one of the worst single days in Hutchinson Community College baseball history, the Blue Dragons trailed Coffeyville by four runs after three innings at Walter Johnson Park.
Unlike Thursday at Hobart-Detter Field when Coffeyville swept the Blue Dragons, Hutchinson had an answer in the final two games of its four-game series with the Red Ravens.
The Dragons had a pair of four-run innings in the fifth and sixth innings of Game 1 to rally from a four-run deficit to defeat Coffeyville 9-6, snapping a five-game losing streak. Hutchinson then made it a two-game win streak with a 9-4 triumph in the nightcap to earn a series sweep.
Coffeyville dominated the first two games of the series on Thursday at Hobart-Detter Field, defeating the Blue Dragons 7-3 and 16-1 in seven innings. On Friday, Coffeyville stung the Blue Dragons with a pair of two-run innings and led 4-0 after three innings.
The Blue Dragons got home runs from Hunter Gotreaux, Sterling Sutcliffe and Ben McLaughlin to rally in Game 1. Booga de la Garza drove in three runs, while McLaughlin and Cade Baker drove in two runs each as Hutchinson jumped out to a five-run lead in the second game.
GAME 1 RECAP
Down 4-0 after three innings, Gotreaux's leadoff home run in the fourth jump-started the slumbering Blue Dragon offense. Sutcliffe hit a three-run home run as part of a four-run fifth inning that gave the Dragons a 5-4 lead.
Jack Torosian had an RBI triple and McLaughlin hit his sixth homer of the year, a two-run shot in a four-run sixth to give the Blue Dragons a 9-5 lead.
McLaughlin led the Blue Dragons' eight-hit attack by going 3 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Five other Blue Dragons had a hit each. Sutcliffe drove in three runs with his first home run of the year. Kael Babin had two RBIs.
Freshman Brady Beverman worked three innings of relief to earn his first pitching victory. Beverman took over for starter Jack Whitlock in the third inning. Beverman gave up one earned run and three hits to move to 1-0 this season.
Reed Scott earned his first career save with two-thirds of an inning of work with two strikeouts.
GAME 2 RECAP
The Blue Dragons scored three runs in the first inning on a Coffeyville error and sacrifice flies from McLaughlin and de la Garza. Hutchinson upped that lead to 5-0 with RBI hits from Torosian and Babin in the top of the fifth.
The Dragons then upped the lead to seven with a two-run single by de la Garza that plated Gotreaux and Sutcliffe. The Dragons built a 9-3 lead on Cade Baker's two-run double that scored de la Garza and Will Edmunson.
The Blue Dragons had nine hits, led by Gotreaux, who went 3 for 4 with a run scored. Torosian was 2 for 5 with a triple with an RBI and run scored. Baker went 2 for 4 with two RBIs.
Ryan Schlotzhauer (2-0) was the winning pitcher with seven strikeouts over three innings. Schlotzhauer gave up two runs, three walks and two hits.
Kaden Wickersham earned his second save after three stellar innings with eight strikeouts.
The Blue Dragons are off until Thursday when they open the 2022 Jayhawk West season with a doubleheader against the Butler Grizzlies at Hobart-Detter Field.