DRAGONS SWEEP LARKS IN RETURN TO FUN VALLEY

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Playing at home for the first time in more than a month, the No. 18-ranked Hutchinson Community College earned a key Region VI sweep of Hesston College on Tuesday at Fun Valley.

Freshman Kiara DeCrane hit a pair of home runs and D.J. Cannon improved to 8-0 in an 8-4 victory in the first game on Tuesday. Freshman Cassidy Prucha had two doubles and drove in a pair as the Blue Dragons took advantage of five Lark errors in a 10-7 win in the nightcap.

The Blue Dragons improve to 14-2 overall and 3-1 in Region VI-designated games. Hesston falls to 16-9 overall and 1-3 in regional games.

GAME 1 RECAP
For only the second time this season, the Blue Dragons found themselves trailing in a game that Cannon was the starting pitcher as Hesston scored a pair of two-run runs in the third inning to take a 2-0 lead after 2 1/2 innings.

The Blue Dragons responded in the bottom of the third when Brynne Stockman tied the game with a two-out, two-run triple to score Ashton Reynolds and DeCrane.

Two innings later, the Blue Dragons took the lead for good after Raven Bass hit a two-run home run and DeCrane went back-to-back in a four-run fifth inning to give Hutch a 6-2 lead. DeCrane added a second home run in the sixth inning.

The Blue Dragons out-hit Hesston 11-7. Hesston starter Ashley Yasin had six strikeouts through two innings and recorded only one more strikeout over the next four innings.

DeCrane went 3 for 3 with two home runs, with three runs scored and two RBIs. She reached base in all four plate appearances drawing a walk.

Stockman went 2 for 3 with her first triple of the season. She scored two runs and drove in a pair.

Kameron Pope drove in a run with a groundout and Shelby Felvus had an RBI single.

Cannon struck out 10 in her sixth complete game of the season. She allowed season highs of seven hits and four runs, three were earned. Cannon walked two.

GAME 2 RECAP
The second game was also a come-from-behind effort as Hesston touched starting pitcher Destiny Schulze for three early runs over the first three innings.

With Hesston leading 3-0 and runners at first and third with one out in the third, the Blue Dragons went to Stockman in the circle. She worked out of the jam with no further damage.

The Dragons finally broke through in the bottom of the third when Izzy Godinez scored on a wild pitch and Stockman's two-out RBI single drove in Ashton Reynolds to pull the Dragons within 3-2.

The Dragons tied the game in the fifth when a single to left field by Stockman got past the Hesston leftfielder and rolled to the fence allowing pinch-runner Brooke Jamison to score from first base. The Dragons to a 4-3 lead on a Felvus sacrifice flu. The Dragons made it a five-run fifth inning when Prucha had an RBI double, followed by RBI singles from Godinez and Reynolds for a 7-3 lead.

After Hesston pulled within 7-6, the Dragons responded answered right back with a three-run sixth. Cannon capped the inning with an RBI single and Prucha added her second RBI double.

The Dragons out-hit Hesston 13-7 with Reynolds, Stockman, Pope, Cannon and Prucha all collecting two hits. Prucha had the only extra-base hits with two doubles.

Stockman improved to 2-0 in the circle with 2 2-3 innings of relief. She struck out three and allowed two hits and two runs. Cannon earned her first save of the season with two innings of work.

The Blue Dragons play host to a pair of Jayhawk East doubleheaders on Friday against Coffeyville and Saturday against Labette.