DRAGONS SPLIT KJCCC DOUBLEHEADER WITH DODGE CITY

Emily Dice delivers a big RBI triple in the sixth inning of the Blue Dragon softball team's 6-3 win over Dodge City in Game 1 of a KJCCC doubleheader on Wednesday in Dodge City. (Sammi Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

April 23, 2025

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

DODGE CITY – The final week of the 2025 regular season started with a Jayhawk Conference doubleheader split with Dodge City on Wednesday.

Kaibryn Kruger and Brooke Backhaus homered and Emily Dice had a key RBI triple as the Blue Dragons pulled away for a 6-3 win over the Conquistadors in Game 1 at Legends Park.

Dodge City then snapped an 18-game losing streak against the Blue Dragons with three solo home runs in a 6-3 win over Hutchinson in Game 2.

The first-place Blue Dragons (34-8, 26-4) will take a one-game lead over second-place Butler and a two-game lead over third-place Barton into Saturday's final regular-season doubleheader at Barton – games are at 1 and 3 p.m. in Great Bend. Butler plays Pratt on Saturday. Dodge City is 25-25 overall and 17-13 in the KJCCC).

GAME 1 RECAP – Hutchinson 6, Dodge City 3
The Blue Dragons earned head coach Jaime Rose's 690th all-time win as a head coach – 21 seasons at Hutchinson, 2 seasons at Independence – jumping out to a 3-0 lead after two innings and then pulling away with three unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh innings after the Conquistadors cut the Dragon lead to one run after four innings.

Bailey Backhaus went 3 for 5, including a two-run triple in the second inning, to lead the Blue Dragons to an 11-7 advantage in total hits.

Brooke Backhaus went 2 for 4 and hit her first home run of the season in the seventh inning. Kaibryn Kruger hit her seventh home run of the season, a solo homer in the first inning.

Dice went 2 for 4 with an RBI triple in the fifth inning. Haley Kruger was 2 for 2 with a double and two runs. She was also hit by two pitches.

Morgan Tomlinson earned her 35th career pitching victory and broke a tie for fourth place with Elise Beguelin (2010-11) on the Blue Dragon career wins list. Tomlinson (19-4) worked seven innings in two appearances in the game to lead the Dragon in the circle.

Tomlinson allowed seven hits and three earned runs with six strikeouts and no walks. After giving up a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh, Tomlinson left the game, but returned two batters later with the bases loaded and no out. She retired the final three batters she faced to finish off the victory.

Leading 3-2 after four innings, the Blue Dragons got two insurance runs in the sixth when Dice tripled down the right-field line to score Haley Kruger. Dice then scored on a Kaibryn Kruger RBI groundout for a 5-2 lead. Brooke Backhaus homered with one out in the seventh for a four-run lead.

GAME 2 RECAP – Dodge City 6, Hutchinson 3
Dodge City led 3-0 after two innings and 5-1 after three innings to earn its first victory over Hutchinson since the 2019 Region 6 Tournament (18 games).

The Blue Dragons out-hit Dodge City 12-10, but left 10 runners on base. Dodge City also had three leadoff homeruns in the seven, third and sixth innings.

Gabby Stauffer was 2 for 4 with an RBI double. Brooke Backhaus was 2 for 4 with an RBI triple. Tailor Golly and Addi Lutz had two hits each.

Aubree Thomas (12-3) look the loss, allowing four hits and three runs. Jessica Schmidt pitched 1 2-3 innings and Tomlinson pitched the final 2 2-3 innings.