DRAGONS DROP PAIR TO NO. 1 McLENNAN
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
WACO, Texas – The Hutchinson Community College baseball team was nearly no-hit in Game 1 and let a late lead slip away in Game 2 of a doubleheader against the top-ranked junior college baseball team in the nation on Sunday.
The Blue Dragons lost the first two games of a three-game series with No. 1 McLennan 8-0 and 5-2 at Bosque River Ballpark. The final game of the series will be at Noon on Monday.
The Blue Dragons fall to 4-4 overall, McLennan is 9-5-1 overall.
GAME 2 RECAP
The Blue Dragons took a 2-1 lead into the eighth when the Highlanders grabbed the lead on one swing of the bat when Cole Fontenelle hit a line-drive grand slam to right field to give McClennan a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The Blue Dragons scored single runs in the third and fifth innings.
With two out in the third, Jack Torosian was hit with a pitch and took second on a Ben McLaughlin single. Torosian then scored on a Jon Jenkins single to right field for a 1-0 lead. McClennan immediate tied the game in the bottom of the third with a triple and RBI groundout.
Kael Babin led off the fifth inning with a walk. He then stole second, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a passed ball for a 2-1 lead.
The Dragons missed a great scoring chance in the seventh when Bryce Logan and Daniel Bebee started the inning with a single and walk, respectively, and moved up to third on a Babin sacrifice bunt. The Dragons, who stranded eight runners on base, left Logan and Bebee in scoring position.
Hutchinson starting pitcher Jack Whitlock had a strong start in getting a no decision. Whitlock went six full innings and allowed just three hits and one earned run with a walk and three strikeouts.
Chase Torkelson (1-1) suffered the loss with two innings of work
GAME 1 RECAP
McLennan starter Will Carsten carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning of the Highlanders' 8-0 victory in Game 1.
With one out in the seventh, Jenkins singled to right field to break up the no-hit bid. Carsten tossed a complete game, going seven innings and striking out 11. Carsten retired 14 Dragons in a row before Jenkins' single. The only other baserunners for the Blue Dragons were McLaughlin in the first (hit by pitch) and Cade Baker in the second (error)
Jackson Blue (1-2) worked just 1 1-3 inning allowing just one hit, but six earned runs and four walks. Ryan Schlotzhauer went 2-3 innings.
Michael Uhler worked four innings shutout innings with three strikeouts. HE allowed only two walks and one hit batsmen and coaxed a pair of double plays.