BLUE DRAGONS DROP PAIR TO MURRAY STATE
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
TISHOMINGO, Oklahoma – After not playing for two weeks because of wintry weather, the Hutchinson Community College softball team got off to a slow start against a powerful Murray State College team on Saturday.
Ranked No. 3 in Division II, Murray State hit a combined five home runs to take both ends of a doubleheader from the Blue Dragons on Day 1 of their annual Oklahoma-Texas swing.
Dropping the first game 14-0 in five innings, the Blue Dragons scored in the top of the seventh to force extra innings, but fell 5-4 in nine innings.
The No. 22-ranked Blue Dragons (3-3) will complete the Oklahoma-Texas swing on Sunday with games at Noon and 2 p.m. at North Central Texas in Gainesville, TX.
BLUE DRAGON SOFTBALL
No. 22 Hutchinson (3-3) at North Central Texas (14-4)
When: Sunday, February 23, 2024
Where: Darwin Fields, Gainesville, TX
Times: Noon and 2 p.m.
Video: NCTC Athletics Video
X: @bluedragonsport
GAME 2 RECAP – Murray State 5, Hutchinson 4 (9 innings)
After falling behind 4-0 after five innings, the Blue Dragon offense finally got on the board in the sixth inning.
With one out in the top of the sixth, Gabby Stauffer doubled and Brie Brawner singled. Addison Lutz then walked to load the bases. Brooke Backhaus hit into a fielder's choice to score Stauffer. Haley Kruger followed with a two-run double to score Brawner and Backhaus to pull Hutchinson within 4-3.
With two out and Kaibryn Kruger at first base after a single, she stole second and scored the game-tying run on a Stauffer single up the middle to knot the score at 4-4.
The Blue Dragons, who stranded 11 baserunners in the second game, left four runners on base in the eighth and ninth innings combined. Murray State loaded the bases with no out in the bottom of the ninth. Halli Igou singled to right field to bring in the winning run.
The Blue Dragons out-hit Murray State 9-8 in the second game.
Haley Kruger had a career-high three hits, going 3 for 4 with her two-run double in the sixth inning. Kaibryn Kruger went 2 for 4 with a double, stolen base and run scored Brawner was 2 for 5 with a run. Stauffer was 2 for 3 with a double, run scored and an RBI. Stauffer also walked twice.
Aubree Thomas started and worked the first four innings. She allowed seven hits and four runs with three strikeouts and four walks. Jessica Schmidt (1-1) worked four innings and allowed three hits and one run with two strikeouts.
GAME 1 RECAP – Murray State 14, Hutchinson 0 (5 innings)
The Blue Dragons had just two baserunners in the first game against two Murray State pitchers.
Tailor Golly had a two-out double and Addison Lutz was hit with a pitch with one out in the second inning. Aggie pitchers Aianna Routt and Lexi Meadows retired the final 11 batters they faced.
Murray State hit four home runs, scoring five runs in the first inning, two in the second inning and seven in the third inning.
Morgan Tomlinson (2-1) suffered the loss for the Dragons. She pitched two innings with four hits and seven earned runs allowed. Mia Williams pitched one inning and Schmidt worked one inning