DRAGONS COMPLETE SWEEP OF DMACC, NOW 9-0
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
The Hutchinson Community College baseball team tied the program record for the best start in program history with a series sweep of Des Moines Area Community College on Tuesday at Hobart-Detter Field.
C.J. Reid and Leo Griffin had four RBIs each to lead the No. 21-ranked Blue Dragons to a six-inning 13-3 victory over the Division II, No. 17 Bears. Then A.J. Mustow hit a go-ahead leadoff home run in the bottom of the sixth inning and Collin Flores closed the game out with the tying and go-ahead at second and third in a 6-5 Hutchinson victory.
After Monday's 4-3 walkoff victory thanks to Anthony Mazza's walk-off home run in the eighth inning, the Blue Dragons swept the Bears in a three-game series, earning their second three-game series sweep this season.
Hutchinson is 9-0 starting the 2025 season, which tied the 2006 Blue Dragons for the best start to a season in program history. The 2024 Blue Dragons started the season 8-0. Hutchinson opens a four-game series with the Coffeyville Red Ravens with two games Thursday at Hobart-Detter Field beginning at 1 p.m.
GAME 2 RECAP – Hutchinson 6, DMACC 5
The Blue Dragons built a four-run lead after Reid hit a two-out, two-run home run to center field in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-1 lead. DMACC answered back when a two-out error in the top of the sixth opened the door for a four-run inning, tying the game at 5-all on Jackson Manning's two-run double.
It didn't take long for Mustow to answer for the Blue Dragons as he launched the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the sixth to straight-away center field for his seventh career home run and a 6-5 lead.
Flores earned his second win of the season, but it wasn't easy in the top of the seventh. Flores walked and hit the first two batters he faced in the seventh. Flores then got a strikeout, a groundout that moved the Bears baserunners up to second and third and a strikeout to end the game.
Flores (2-0) pitched the final 1 1-3 innings, getting two strikeouts to close out a 12-strikeout effort by four Hutchinson pitchers. Brooks Jones struck out four in two innings, Brandt Phillips struck out five in two innings and Aiden Doty had a strikeout in 1 2-3 innings.
Offensively, the Dragons were shut out for the first three innings and had only six hits in the game.
The Dragons took a 3-1 lead in the fourth when Mustow doubled home Nick Glantz and Mustow and Jarrett Herrmann both scored on wild pitches. Reid hit his two-run home run to center field in the fifth for a 5-1 lead.
Mustow was 2 for 2 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Glantz was 2 for 3 with a double and a run scored to extend his hitting streak to seven games. Mazza was 1 for 3 to extend his hitting streak to nine games.
GAME 1 RECAP – Hutchinson 13, DMACC 3 (6 innings)
Reid and Griffin combined for four hits and eight RBIs to lead the Blue Dragons' 12-hit attack in the opening game on Tuesday.
Reid was 2 for 4 with an RBI single in the third and a bases-loaded triple in the fourth.
Griffin hit his first career home run to lead off the fifth inning and hit a three-run double to right-center field in the sixth to finish his game 2 for 4 with two runs and four RBIs.
Quinn Maher and Mazza both went 2 for 4. Herrmann had a double and three walks with an RBI.
The Dragons trailed 1-0 – Hutchinson is now 4-0 when the opposing team scores first – after two innings before getting the offense going in the third.
In addition to the series-high 12 hits, the Blue Dragons took advantage of nine DMACC walks by five pitchers.
Making his first start of the season, Reece Usselman (2-0) earned the pitching win for the Dragons. Usselman allowed five hits, one run, one walk and struck out six in four innings. Sean Combs allowed two runs and three hits in two innings.
GAME NOTES – Blue Dragon pitchers struck out a combined 33 batters in the three-game series with DMACC. … The Dragons stole 11 of 12 bases in the series. Mazza led that stat individually with four steaks.