DRAGONS EXPLODE LATE TO TAKE GAME 1 AT ROSE STATE

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

MIDWEST CITY, Oklahoma – The Hutchinson Community College baseball team scored 12 runs in its final two at-bats Thursday to earn a run-rule victory in Game 1 of a three-game series with Rose State on Friday.

Three different Hutchinson players drove in three or more runs each as the Blue Dragons pulled away to defeat the Raiders 15-2 in eight innings at Rose State.

The Blue Dragons improved to 6-0 to start the season, the first 6-0 start since 2006. Rose State fell to 6-7. The teams changed Saturday's schedule to a single nine-inning game at 2 p.m. in Midwest City.

With only six hits through six innings, the Blue Dragons racked up nine of their 15-total hits in the final two innings.

Kael Babin, Luis Pimentel-Guerrero and Blake Bradford had three hits each to lead the Blue Dragons.

Babin was 3 for 5 with a triple from the leadoff spot. He scored three runs and drove in a career-best three runs. Pimentel-Guerrero was 3 for 5 with three RBIS. Braford was 3 for 5 with a double and two RBIs.

Maher was 2 for 5 with a double, triple and four runs batted in. Colin Cymbalista went 2 for 5 with a season-high four RBIs.

The Blue Dragons had a season-high 10 stolen bases on Friday, which is the third most in a single game in Blue Dragon history. Jordan Tucker had a game-high three steals. Babin and Cymbalista had two each. Bradford, Cooper Wesslund and Tyson Vassart also had stolen bases.

This is the second time this season the Blue Dragons have had at least eight steals in a game.

The Blue Dragons out-hit Roses State 15-5 and the Raiders committed four errors.

Starting pitcher Ethan Giesbrecht (1-0) earned his first win of the season with five strong innings. He allowed five hits and two runs (one earned run) with five strikeouts and a walk. Cole Toureau tossed three hitless innings for his second save of the season. Toureau struck out three and walked two.

Leading only 3-2 after six innings, the Blue Dragons scored four runs in the seventh inning and eight runs in the eighth inning to bring the game to the brink of a rule-run ending.