DRAGONS RALLY IN GAME 2 TO SWEEP STERLING JV
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
Sophomore Jack Torosian's walkoff single to right field in the bottom of the eighth inning capped a four-run comeback for the Hutchinson Community College baseball team on Monday in a doubleheader sweep of the Sterling College Junior Varsity at Hobart-Detter Field.
The Blue Dragons took advantage of 12 free baserunners, while Will Edmunson and Landon Snyder combined for a six-hit shutout in a 12-0 Hutchinson run-rule win in five innings in the opening game.
Hutchinson then built a 6-0 lead through three innings only to see Sterling take a three-run lead after a nine-run fourth inning. Trailing by four runs in the bottom of the seventh, the Dragons tied the game and walked off for an 11-10 win in eight innings in Game 2.
The Blue Dragons are now a season-high seven games over .500 at 27-20. The Dragon open a four-game Jayhawk West series with the Pratt Beavers on Thursday at Hobart-Detter Field.
GAME 1 RECAP
The Blue Dragons took advantage of 12 free baserunners in Game nine – nine walks and three hit batsmen – in their run-rule victory in the first game on Monday.
The Dragons scores four runs in the first on a two-run Ben McLaughlin double, P.J. Loucks sacrifice fly and Daniel Beebe RBI single. The Dragons added three more runs in the second – Braedyn Sommer scored on a wild pitch, Loucks had a second sacrifice fly and Bodi Wallar drove in a run with a single – for a 7-0 lead.
After the first two batters were retired in the fourth, eight Hutchinson players reached in a five-run inning. All the runs came on bases-loaded walks to Beebe, Bryce Logan, Sommer and McLaughlin and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to pinch-hitter Carter Booe.
Beebe was 2 for 2 with two RBIs to lead the seven-hit attack by the Blue Dragons. McLaughlin was 1 for 3 with a game-high three RBIs. Loucks had two RBIs on a pair of sacrifice flies. Seven different Blue Dragons had at least one RBI in the first game.
The Blue Dragons had six stolen bases. Sommer had a career high with four steals.
Edmondson (2-0) earned a win in his second-straight start with four shutout innings. Edmonson allowed six hits and two walks with six strikeouts. He pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the first with a strikeout, and then started a 1-5-6 double play in the second to keep the Warriors off the board.
Snyder had two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 fifth inning.
GAME 2 RECAP
Trailing 10-6 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Blue Dragons score four runs in the inning to force extra innings. McLaughlin had an RBI single, Torosian had an RBI triple and then scored on a wild pitch to cut the Sterling lead to 10-9.
The Dragons tied the game at 10-all on Sterling Sutcliffe's two-out RBI single that scored Kael Babin.
With one out in the eighth, McLaughlin drew a walk and stole second base. He scored the winning run and Torosian lined a base hit to right field for the walk-off win.
The Blue Dragons had 12 hits in Game 2.
Kael Babin, who snapped an 0 for 17 streak in Game 1, went 2 for 3 with three runs and a career-best three stolen bases in Game 2.
Sutcliffe was 2 for 3 with a double and three RBIs. Sutcliffe now has 14 RBIs in his last five games.
Wallar was 2 for 3 with two doubles and an RBI.
Torosian was 2 for 2 with a triple and two RBIs.
Brady Beverman (3-1) pitched a spotless top of the eight to earn the win. Noah Kelley worked 3 2-3 innings out of the bullpen to keep the Dragons in the game. Kelley allowed one earned run on four hits.
Starter Luke Hornberger faced the minimum through the first three innings with five strikeouts and only one hit allowed.
Sterling rallied from six runs down with a nine-run fourth inning. Thanks to four errors, all nine runs were unearned. The Dragons added to the Warriors' rally with four walks. Sterling had just three hits in the inning.