Shawn Lewick pitched the final 5 2-3 innings in the Overland Park sub-regional to help the Blue Dragons complete a comeback through the loser's bracket with an 11-7 win over top-seeded Johnson County on May 12, 2010 at Lawrence Free State High School.

2010 Region VI Sub-Regional - Championship No. 2
Hutchinson 11, Johnson County 7
May 12, 2010 - Lawrence Free State, Lawrence, KS

BLUE DRAGONS COMPLETE
SUB-REGIONAL COMEBACK,
ADVANCE TO WICHITA

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LAWRENCE – The Hutchinson Community College baseball team extended its season during its extended stay in northeast Kansas. Two days after the Overland Park Region VI sub-regional tournament was supposed to finish, the Blue Dragons rallied from a three-run deficit and defeated Johnson County 11-7 on May 12, 2010.

Hutchinson now advances to the Region VI Tournament at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in Wichita. The Blue Dragons open the tournament against Butler.

Hutchinson and Johnson County were supposed to play their championship game in Overland Park. But after heavy rains caused the field in Overland Park to become unplayable, the teams played on May 11 in Free State High School's field, which had an artificial surface.

Hutchinson won that first game, forcing the winner-take-all game. And by that time, Blue Dragon ace Shawn Lewick, who threw 146 pitches in a win over Allen County, was ready to go again.

“He wanted to start today,” Hutchinson head coach Kyle Crookes said of Lewick. “But after yesterday, the coaches met and it was unanimous that we’d go as far with (reliever Andrew) Urban as we could and then if the situation called for it, we could bring in Lewick.”

Urban worked into the fourth inning and then the Dragons turned to the left-handed Lewick. Lewick ended up pitching the final 5 2/3 innings, allowing just three unearned runs and five hits.

“He would have wanted to (pitch) again on Monday, much less on Wednesday,” Crookes said of Lewick. “He’s a warrior. There are very few kids like him left in this game.”

“I just had to battle,” Lewick added. “Andy pitched his heart out, but when I got the call I was ready to do whatever we needed to get the job done.”

Johnson County scored two unearned runs in the fourth inning – Hutchinson committed five errors – as the Cavaliers took a 5-2 lead.

But Hutchinson got right back in the game with two runs in the top of the fifth.

“Our guys really responded after that," said Crookes of his team's play in the final five innings.

Hutchinson took the lead for good in the sixth. The Blue Dragons tied it on a safety squeeze bunt and then Matt Williams delivered an RBI single.

It stayed 6-5 until the ninth when Hutchinson's first five batters came around to score. Ryan Mayfield brought in a run with a single to increase the lead to 7-5, then Nickerson native Mace Krol delivered the knockout blow – a three-run home run. It was the ninth home run this season for Krol, who also homered in the first championship game against Johnson County.

Krol’s blast was a huge part of a five-run ninth inning for the Blue Dragons.

“I gave a lot of credit to our hitters because they just didn't sit on that lead,” Crookes said. “We haven’t given Lewick that kind of cushion many times.”

Krol finished the day going 2 for 5 with four RBIs, while Mayfield also drove in two. Luke Acosta also had two hits and scored three runs.

“I hadn’t been hitting well lately, but that bunt single against Allen really gave me a boost of confidence,” Krol said. “I was just able to put a good swing on it and was able to right the ball hard. That was huge for us.”

Johnson County tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth with a pair of runs and the tying run in the on-deck circle, but with a heavy rain falling, Lewick caught a soft line drive back to him for the final out of the game.

“It was important to me to finish that game,” Lewick said. “We thought we had a  really good chance in Wichita last year and it didn’t end so well. So to pitch us to get to Wichita this year, was really important for me.”

GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons got program win No. 998. … Andrew Dixon seven-game hitting streak snapped. … With eight stolen bases, HCC tied for the second most steals ever in a game. HCC has stolen eight or more bases in a game six times. … The 2010 Blue Dragons now have 50 home runs, the 10th team in program history to reach 50 homer sin a season.. … HCC now has 160 stolen bases, which is No. 3 on the all-time list.