Hutchinson CC Sports Information

GAINSVILLE, Texas – The euphoria of four dominant wins to start the season for the Hutchinson Community College softball team was replaced by the sting of a pair of one-run losses on Friday.

The Blue Dragons let sizable leads slip away in both games on Friday at North Central Texas and lost 9-8 and 9-8.

Hutchinson drops to 4-2 and will travel to play Murray State College (6-2) at Noon and 2 p.m. on Saturday in Tishomingo, Oklahoma.

Offensively, freshman Madison Grimes continues her early-season tear with five more hits and five more RBIs on Friday. Through six games, Grimes is hitting .800 (16 of 20) with 12 runs scored and 16 RBIs.

The Blue Dragons, though, weren't able to hold off a North Central Texas offense that had several key hits late in each game, including a bases-clearing triple and a three-run inside-the-park home run that gave the Lions late leads in both games.

Hutchinson had leads of 4-1 and 7-4 in the opening game. The Lions scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth when Sasha Williams laced a triple to tie the game and scored the go-ahead run on a Blue Dragon throwing error.

Kylee Dunn's fourth-inning double in Game 2 gave the Blue Dragon an 8-2 lead, but North Central Texas scored seven unanswered runs, getting a three-run inside the park home run in the bottom of the fifth to take a 9-8 lead.

Hutchinson's offense combined for 17 runs on 26 hits, but the Blue Dragons stranded 16 runners on base. In addition to Grimes, catcher Lexi Williams and second baseman Easton Head also had huge performance on Friday. Williams was a combined 5 for 8 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Head 4 for 7 with a home run.

GAME 1 RECAP
Head's sacrifice fly gave Hutchinson a 4-1 lead in the third inning. Grimes and a two-run double and Bevan followed that with a run-scoring double in the top of the fourth to give the Dragons a 7-3 lead.

After scoring an unearned run in the fourth, NCTC had its first three batters of the sixth reach base. Jennings clear the bases with a triple and scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error after she originally stopped at third. NCTC led 8-7 heading to the seventh.

Hutchinson got the tying run on when Dunn led off with a single, but the Blue Dragons were unable to produce a run and dropped their first game of the season.

Grimes led the Blue Dragons going 3 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs to lead Hutchinson in Game 1. Williams, Natalie Bevan and Dunn had two hits each as Hutchinson was out-hit 13-11.

Samarah Bailey (1-1) took the loss in the pitching circle. She worked 3 1-3 innings in relief of Sadie Loney. Bailey allowed six hits and five runs, three were earned with a strikeout. Loney worked the first 2 2-3 innings, giving up seven hits, three earned runs and a walk.

GAME 2 RECAP
The Blue Dragons scored eight runs over their first four at-bats. Hutch scored five runs in the second inning. Carley Sternecker's double drove in a run. Williams had an RBI single and Grimes plated two runs on a single in a five-run second.

Head led off the third with a home run and had a two-out RBI single in the fourth to give the Blue Dragons an 8-2 lead after 3 1/2 innings.

NCTC rallied again with three runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth to take the lead. The Blue Dragons stranded three of their nine runners on base in the final two innings, two were in scoring position.

Head led a 15-hit Hutchinson attack – the Blue Dragons have had 10 or more hits in five-straight games – by going 3 for 4 with her third home run of the season and two RBIs. Haley Miller also went 3 for 4 with two stolen bases. Williams went 3 for 4 with a pair of stolen bases. Grimes was 2 for 3 with three RBIs.

Hutchinson out-hit NCTC 15-11.

Mequela Guajardo (1-1) was the losing pitcher, working 1 1-3 innings in relieve of Jordan Galliher. Guajardo allowed five hits and four earned runs Galliher worked 3 1-3 innings with six hits and runs allowed. She struck out two.