BLUE DRAGONS SLAM 4 HOMERS TO WIN HOME OPENER
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
The Hutchinson Community College baseball team had season highs for home runs and runs scored in the 2018 home opener for the No. 7-ranked Blue Dragons.
Hutchinson had three innings with five or more runs as the Blue Dragons defeated Independence 19-12 on a windblown Sunday at Hobart-Detter Field.
The Dragons improve to 4-3 overall. Independence is now 3-6.
Sunday was the first time that Hutchinson and Independence played in the regular season. In 2016, the Dragons and Pirates played a wild three-game Region VI opening-round series at Hobart-Detter Field. In four all-time games against Independence, the Dragons have scored 74 runs to Indy's 48. The rematch in Independence is scheduled for April 3.
The Blue Dragons tied a season high with 15 points and had a season high for extra-base hits with eight (two doubles, two triples and four homers).
Six different Blue Dragons had multi-hit games on Sunday.
Sophomore Bobby Morgensen went 3 for 5 with a triple, two runs scored and two RBIs. Morgensen also stole three bases.
Sophomore Wyatt Divis was 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs. Trailing 1-0 after the top of the first, Divis led off and homered to left-center to tie the game. He had a second at-bat in the first and drove in two runs with a single to make it 7-1 Blue Dragons after one inning.
Freshman Logan Sartori was 2 for 4 with a double, three runs scored and one RBI. Sartori also made two hustle plays on the bases that netted two more runs. In the fifth, Sartori tagged to third on a short foul out and scored on Riley Metzger's pinch-hit infield single. Then in the second, Sartori scored from second on a fielder's choice and Indy was unable to turn a double play on pinch-hitter Crit Williams.
Freshman Ryan Moritz went 2 for 3 with a double, two walks, three runs scored and one RBI.
Sophomore Brock Schafer went 2 for 3 with a two-run home run in Hutch's five-run fourth inning that gave the Dragons a 12-4 lead.
Metzger was 2 for 3 with a two-run homer un Hutch's six-run sixth.
Freshman Zion Bowlin hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning.
Blue Dragon starter Miguel Reyes Jr. worked three solid innings to earn the victory and improve to 2-1. Reyes allowed six hits and two earned runs, but strikeout a season-high six.
The Dragons used six relievers in the game. Zach Philbin tossed a scoreless 1 1-3 innings with one hit allowed and one strikeout. Ryan Junker worked a scoreless inning with a strikeout.
The Blue Dragons are scheduled to begin a three-game series at Rose State in Midwest City, Oklahoma.