STIPSITS LEADS BLUE DRAGONS IN SWEEP OF BULLDOGS
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
McPHERSON – Sophomore catcher Allie Stipsits combined for six hits, freshman third baseman Olivia Sandoval combined for seven RBIs and the No. 17-ranked Hutchinson Community College softball team had an 11-run inning as the Blue Dragons earned a doubleheader sweep of the McPherson College junior varsity on Sunday.
The Blue Dragons rallied from four runs down in the first game to complete an 11-5 victory in Game 1 at Bulldog Park. The Blue Dragons exploded for an 11-run fourth inning and rolled to a five-inning 17-0 win to complete the sweep.
The Blue Dragons improved to 4-0. Hutchinson plays four games in the Winter Blast on Friday and Saturday in Denison, Texas.
Stipsits went on a combined 6 for 7 with three doubles, three runs scored and three RBIs as Hutchinson combined for 28 runs on 24 hits in the doubleheader.
Sandoval had four combined hits and seven RBIs on Sunday, including her second five-RBI game of the season in Game 2.
GAME 1 RECAP
McPherson scored four runs in the first inning, but the Dragons rallied with five runs in the third and four more runs in the fourth to grab control of the game.
The Blue Dragons tied the game at 4-all in the third with an RBI double from Sandoval, Riley Wertz's run-scoring single, an RBI double from Stipsits and a Korri Lies sacrifice fly. The Dragons to a 5-4 lead on a two-out RBI single from Grace Sykora.
The Dragons bult a 9-5 lead in the fourth inning when Wertz laced a two-run double and another Stipsits RBI double. Stipsits scored the fourth run of the inning when Lies reached on one of five McPherson errors.
The Blue Dragons had 12 hits in Game 1 with five doubles.
Stipsits went 3 for 4 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBIs. Wertz went 2 for 3 with a double and three RBIs. Sandoval and Madison Grimes had two hits each. Sandoval had two RBIs.
Kierstan Weitze (2-0) came into the game in the third inning and worked 3 2-3 innings to earn the victory. She gave up four hits and struck out five. Starter Emily Munson went 2 1-3 innings. She allowed four hits and five runs with two strikeouts and three walks. Wertz struck out three in one inning of work.
GAME 2 RECAP
Sandoval drove in five runs and Alexis Mastin had four RBIs while Morgan Pennycuff and Delaney Blakesley combined for one hitter in the five-inning run-rule victory over McPherson.
Leading 3-0 after three innings, the Blue Dragons posted their largest single inning since March 4, 2020 with an 11-run inning. That tied for the fourth-biggest single inning in program history.
Grimes' drive on Ella Dougherty with a double to start the huge inning. Mastin hit a three-run home run to center for runs 2, 3 and 4. Pinch hitter Jaleigh Darnell then added a bases-loaded walk, Sandoval delivered a two-run single and Aspen Goetz ripped a three-run double. Mastin closed the 11-run inning with her fourth RBI of the inning on a double that scored Goetz. The Dragons sent 16 batters to the plate and had six hits in the inning. The Blue Dragons also had five walks and a hit batter in the inning.
Pennycuff (2-0) pitched the first three innings and didn't allow a hit, but walked three – one Bulldog was erased by Stipsits while trying to steal second base. Pennycuff had four strikeouts. Blakesley allowed the only hit, but struck out five in two innings, including the side in the fifth to close out the game.
Stipsits went 3 for 3 to lead the Blue Dragons' 12-hit attack. Sandoval was 2 for 4 with five RBIs and a run scored. Grimes, Mastin and Lies had two hits each.
The Blue Dragons have scored in double figures in each of their first four games this season.