BLUE DRAGONS CAN’T SLOW ROADRUNNERS
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
Home runs from Ben McLaughlin, Jack Torosian and Sterling Sutcliffe weren't enough to offset nine State Fair runs in the final three innings as the Hutchinson Community College baseball team had more late-game problems on Tuesday.
The Blue Dragons dropped their fourth game in a row after a tough 12-11 non-league midweek loss to State Fair at Hobart-Detter Field.
Hutchinson falls to 7-11 overall. The Blue Dragons return to Jayhawk West play this weekend with a four-game series against Garden City.
The Blue Dragons out-hit State Fair 14-12 and out-homered the Roadrunners 3-2.
Trailing 8-7 at the seventh-inning stretch, RBI singles by Daniel Bebee and pinch hitter Will Edmunson and an unearned run on one of five State Fair errors gave the Blue Dragons a 10-8 lead.
State Fair immediately answered with a five-run eighth inning on just three hits. The Blue Dragons chipped in two walks, a hit batsmen and a wild pitch as the Blue Dragons trailed 13-10.
The Blue Dragons, who trailed 3-0 after 3 1/2 innings, tried to rally with solo home runs from McLaughlin and Sutcliffe to cut the State Fair lead to 13-12. Ryan Henderson then followed with a walk, but the Roadrunners pitchers Carson Fewell and Antonio Escano retired the final five Blue Dragons of the game.
Bebee had a career-high three hits, going 3 for 5 with three RBIs to lead the Blue Dragons.
McLaughlin went 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs with his seventh home run of the season.
Torosian was 2 for 4 with his first homer of the season. Sutcliffe also went 2 for 4 with his fourth home run of 2022.
The Blue Dragons used 10 pitchers. That group combined for 15 strikeouts, five by starter Justin Smith in two innings. Blue Dragon pitchers also combined to allow 12 hits, nine walks, four wild pitches and two hit batsmen.
Telo Arsiaga (0-1) was the losing pitcher for the Blue Dragons. Zach Buschschulte was the winner for State Fair. Escano earned his second save of the season.