DRAGONS, DODGE CITY OPEN SERIES WITH SPLIT
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
DODGE CITY – Zion Bowlin hit a three-run home run and Jake Bunz pitched six strong innings as the Hutchinson Community College baseball team split the first two games of a Jayhawk West series with Dodge City on Thursday at Cavalier Field.
Dodge City rallied from a three-run deficit in the first game, scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth in 5-4 Conquistador victory in the series opener. The Blue Dragons rolled to a 12-3 win in Game 2 to even the series. Games 3 and 4 will be at Hobart-Detter Field on Friday, not Saturday as originally schedule, at 2 p.m.
Hutchinson is now 15-10 overall and 6-4 in the Jayhawk West. Dodge City is 12-7 and 2-4.
GAME 2 RECAP
Bowlin's three-run blast to right-center field came as part of a five-run third inning. The other big blow of the inning was Dylan Nedved's two-run double. Hutchinson led 6-0 after 2 1/2 innings.
Bunz (4-1) recovered nicely from last week's tough start against Butler. Bunz scattered four hits and allowed just one earned run over six innings. Bunz struck out nine and walked only one to earn the victory.
Matt Hopkins tossed the final three innings. He allowed three hits and two unearned runs with five strikeouts and one walk.
The Blue Dragons tallied 12 total hits against eight Dodge City pitchers; four were for doubles and Bowlin's first home run of the season.
Four players had two hits for Hutchinson in the second game. Zane Schmidt went 2 for 5 with a double, two runs and an RBI. Riley Metzger was 2 for 4 with two driven in. Nedved was 2 for 6 with a double and two RBIs. Jeremiah Ceasar was 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs. Logan Sartori also drove in a run. Dragon hitters also drew nine walks.
Hutchinson scored in 6 of 9 offensive innings. Dodge City had a single run off Bunz in the fifth. The two unearned runs off Hopkins occurred in the eighth.
GAME 1 RECAP
Will Reetz hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning to give the Blue Dragons a 3-1 lead. Dodge City's Spencer Marcus trumped that with a three-run homer of his own as part of a four-run Conquistador fifth and Dodge City held on for a 5-4 victory in the first game.
The Blue Dragons trailed 1-0 entering the third inning when Nedved's sacrifice fly scored Schmidt to tie the game at 1-1. Reetz then launched a 2-2 pitch to right field for a 3-1 lead after 3 1/2 innings. Sartori's sacrifice fly in the fourth placed Max McGuire for a 4-1 Blue Dragon lead.
Trey Vasquez doubled in a row to start Dodge City's fifth inning. With two-out and two-on, Marcus gave the Conquistadors a 5-4 lead with a three-run shot to left field off Hutch starter Miguel Reyes.
The Blue Dragons had their chances late. Hutch left the bases loaded in the sixth without scoring before going down in order in the seventh to end the game.
Reyes tossed a complete game but fell to 1-3 for the season. He worked six innings with eight strikeouts and four walks. Reyes allowed six hits, five runs, four earned runs.
The Dragons were limited to a season-low three hits. Reetz was 2 for 2. Schmidt provided the other hit.