DRAGONS ROLL TO DOUBLEHEADER SWEEP OF STERLING JV

Luke Hornberger struck out three in his one inning of work as Hutchinson defeated the Starling JV 14-0 and 15-2 on Monday in Sterling.
Luke Hornberger struck out three in his one inning of work as Hutchinson defeated the Starling JV 14-0 and 15-2 on Monday in Sterling.
March 28, 2022
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Hutchinson CC Sports Information

STERLING – The Hutchinson Community College baseball team completed their conference bye week undefeated after a pair of run-rule victories over the Sterling College Junior Varsity Warriors on Monday in Sterling.

Daniel Beebe and Kael Babin drove in three runs each as the Blue Dragons defeated the Warriors 14-0 in five innings in the opener. The Dragons then combined for four home runs in a 15-2 five-inning win in the second game.

The Blue Dragons 14-12 match a season high for games over .500 at two. Hutchinson has won five in a row and 7 of its last 8 games. The Blue Dragons return to KJCCC play this week with a four-game series against Seward County – Thursday's games at Hobart-Detter Field and Saturday at Liberal.

GAME 1 RECAP
Hitting eighth and ninth in the order, respectively, Beebe and Babin did plenty of damage at the bottom of the order in Game 1.

Babin had his first career three-hit game, going 3 for 3 with a double, three RBIs, three runs scored and a stolen base. Babin had a bases-loaded double in a four-run third that gave the Dragons an 8-0 lead.

Beebe was 2 for 2 with a double and three RBIs with two runs scored. He had a two-run double in the fourth that gave the Dragons a 10-0 lead. He added a sacrifice fly in the fifth for a 13-0 lead.

Ryan Henderson was 2 for 3 with a double and two runs scored. Ben McLaughlin had two RBIs.

The Blue Dragons had 12 total hits and were 6 for 6 stealing bases. Jack Torosian and Sterling Sutcliffe and two steals apiece.

Five Hutchinson pitchers – Chase Torkelson, Luke Hornberger, Charlie Mosser, Landen Snyder and Konnor Kirchoffer – tossed a combined one-hit shutout. Hornberger (2-0) and Kirchoffer had three strikeouts each.

GAME 2 RECAP
Jon Jenkins' first-inning grand slam set the tone for the second game. Hutchinson lead 7-0 after its first at-bat.

P.J. Loucks, Henderson and Cade Baker also homered as Hutchinson posted a season single-game high with four homers.

Henderson hit a two-run homer in the second for a 9-0 lead. Baker and Loucks each hit two-run home runs in a four-run third inning.

The Blue Dragons had just seven hits in the second game. Hunter Gotreaux added an RBI double in the first inning. Loucks and Henderson had the Dragons' only multi-hit games with two hits each.

The Dragons once again used five different pitchers – Justin Smith, Noah Kelley, Derick Johnson, Reed Scott and Carter Holstein – in one-inning stints. That group combined for 12 strikeouts and limited the Warriors to two runs on five hits. Kelley (1-0) was the winning pitcher.