CLUTCH LUTZ HITS RALLY DRAGONS PAST GRIZZLIES

Hutchinson CC sports Information

Freshman designated player Addi Lutz came up big not just once, but twice on Thursday, to lead the Hutchinson Community College softball team to a wild come-from behind walk-off victory over No. 14 Butler in a KJCCC doubleheader at Fun Valley.

The Dragons rallied from four runs down entering their final at-bat in Game 1, forced extra innings and Lutz roped a walk-off single into center field to score Gabby Stauffer for a 7-6 victory in nine innings over the Grizzlies. Butler came back to take Game 2 10-2 in six innings.

The Blue Dragons improved to 9-5 overall and are 5-1 in the Jayhawk Conference. Butler suffered its first loss of the season and is now 7-1 overall and 1-1 in the KJCCC. Hutchinson will play host to Labette in a make-up doubleheader at 2 and 4 p.m. on Sunday at Fun Valley.

GAME 1 RECAP – Hutchinson 7, Butler 6 (9 innings)
Butler led 3-2 entering the seventh inning in Game 1 and scored three runs in the top of the seventh to take a 6-2 lead. That's when the Blue Dragon fireworks started.

The bottom of the seventh started with a Kaibryn Kruger double, Tailor Golly RBI double and a Stauffer RBI double cut the Butler lead to 6-4. After a walk to Brooke Backhaus and a Brie Brawner line-out to third base for the first out of the inning, Stauffer and Backhaus moved up 60 feet each on a wild pitch. Lutz then laced a single up the middle that deflected off the second-base bag to score Stauffer and Backhaus to tie the game at 6-6. One batter later, Lutz was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a Butler error to end the seventh.

Freshman Jessica Schmidt got the Blue Dragons out of their seventh-inning jam and pitched three innings of scoreless relief with two strikeouts and a walk and hit allowed.

Then in the bottom of the ninth, the Dragons cashed in on two Grizzly throwing errors. With Stauffer at third and Brawner at first, Lutz singled up the middle to score Stauffer with the game-winning run and secure a three-game win streak over Butler, which included the two championship game victories in the 2024 Region 6 Tournament championship game.

The Blue Dragons had eight hits off three Butler pitchers.

Lutz was 3 for 5 with a season-high three RBIs. Stauffer was 3 for 5 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. Kaibryn Kruger was 2 for 4 with a double and two runs. Golly went 2 for 4 with a double and RBI

GAME 2 RECAP – Butler 10, Hutchinson 2 (6 innings)
The Blue Dragons jumped on Butler starter Ellie Randall for two runs on one hit. Kaibryn Kruger scored on a bases-loaded walk to Brawner and Golly scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead. Butler scored three runs in the top of the second to take a 3-2 lead.

After Emily Dice lined into a double play in the second, Butler seized control. Randall allowed just two hits after the first inning.

The Grizzlies broke the game open against three Hutchinson pitchers with a five-run fifth and two-run sixth inning.

Kruger, Staffer and Lutz had the only hits for the Dragons in Game 2.

Aubree Thomas (4-2) suffered the loss for the Dragons, working 4 1-3 innings with five hits and five runs allowed. Morgan Tomlinson and Schmidt also pitched as Butler out-hit the Dragons 10-3 in the second game.