BROWN’S GEM, GAME 2 RALLY HIGHLIGHT’S DRAGON SWEEP
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
GARDEN CITY – The Hutchinson Community College baseball team won the first two games of a Jayhawk West series for the first time this year on Thursday.
Mike Brown delivered a two-hit shutout in Game 1 as Hutchinson defeated Garden City 5-0 at Williams Stadium. Then scoring five unanswered runs over the final three innings, the Dragons scored two runs in the top of the ninth to rally and defeat the Broncbusters 9-8.
The Blue Dragons are now a season-high five games over .500 at 20-15 overall, 12-10 in the Jayhawk West. Garden City falls to19-20 overall and 4-13 in the conference. Games 3 and 4 of the series, weather permitting, will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Hobart-Detter Field.
Brown is the first Blue Dragon start to throw a complete-game shutout of seven innings or more since David Tudhope pitched a two-hit shutout in an 11-0 win over Dodge City last season.
In the nightcap, Hutchinson trailed Garden City 8-4 after six innings. The Dragons started the comeback in the seventh with a Logan Sartori sacrifice fly and Dylan Nedved home run. Brock Schaffer then homered in the eighth to pull within 8-7.
In the ninth, Wyatt Divis singled home Sartori with the game-tying run. Then with one out, Zach Baxley hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Nedved for a 9-8 lead.
Nedved pitched the ninth for his second save of the season, saving the game for Divis, who pitched two shutout innings in relief for the victory.
GAME 1 RECAP
Brown tossed Hutchinson's second complete game of seven or more innings this season. The game was Hutch's first shutout of the season.
Brown needed 79 total pitches to complete his first career shutout. He struck out five and walked none.
Brown allowed a leadoff double to start the third inning and a one-out single in the fourth that was erased with an inning-ending double play. Brown finished off the gem by retiring the final 10 Broncbusters he faced.
The Dragons took a 1-0 lead in the first on a Bobby Morgensen RBI double. Hutch made it 3-0 on a Zion Bowlin leadoff home run and a Nedved RBI double in the third.
Divis homered to left center to lead off the fifth and Sartori added a sacrifice fly to score Baxley in the sixth to make it 5-0.
Hutchinson out-hit Garden City 10-2. Nedved, Baxley and Schaffer had two hits each. Nedved had two doubles while Morgensen and Sartori had one double each.
GAME 2 RECAP
The Blue Dragons hit at least three home runs in a game for the ninth time this season with home runs from Divis, Nedved and Schaffer
Nedved and Divis, hitting in the 2-3 spots in the order, were a combined 6 for 9 with four runs and four RBIs. Nedved went 3 for 5 with three runs and an RBI. Divis was 3 for 4 with a run and three RBIs.
Schaffer went 2 for 4 with a homer. Scott Wolverton went 2 for 3 with a double, triple and run scored.
Masen Palmier started and worked the first four innings allowing six hits and five earned runs. Dayden Lane worked 1 1-3 innings and Zach Philbin went two-thirds of an inning.
Divis allowed one hit and one walk while striking out three in his first pitching performance since March 8. Nedved walked one in the ninth inning.
Hutchinson led 4-2 after four innings before Garden City struck for five runs in the fifth and tacked on another run in the sixth for an 8-4 lead.
Thursday's victories mark the fifth- and sixth-straight wins for Hutchinson over Garden City at Williams Stadium.