DRAGONS GET CLUTCH MOUND EFFORT TO REMAIN ALIVE

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

MANHATTAN – Ben Dandelet grinded out a complete game as the Hutchinson Community College baseball team stayed alive in the Plains District (Region VI) Baseball Tournament on Thursday at Tointon Family Stadium.

Dandelet's first career complete game highlighted a 5-3 Blue Dragon victory over the Butler Grizzlies in a second-round elimination game.

The Blue Dragons (38-22) will now play Johnson County at 7 p.m. today in another elimination game.

Dandelet (2-1) allowed eight hits and three earned runs while striking out four and walking one. Dandelet limited the Grizzlies to one run in each of the third, seventh and ninth innings. The Grizzlies stranded seven runners on base.

Trailing 1-0 after three innings, a bases-loaded walk to Bryce Logan forced Ryan Henderson home to knot the score at 1-all in the fourth.

The Dragons took a 3-1 lead with a bases-loaded walk to Sterling Sutcliffe and a Jack Torosian sacrifice fly.

Leading 3-2 into the eighth, the Dragons got two insurance runs on a Logan safety squeezed drove in Jack Torosian and Braedyn Sommer's ground-rule double drove home Hunter Gotreaux.

The Blue Dragons had just six hits, but took advantage of six walks and three hit batters. The Blue Dragons have been hit 123 times with pitches this season, fourth most in team history.

Kael Babin went 2 for 3 with a run scored and stolen base to lead the Blue Dragons from the No. 9 spot in the order. His infield single to lead off the fifth started a two-run uprising for the Dragons.

Logan was 1 for 2 with a pair of walks and two RBIs.

Sommer and Torosian both had doubles. Sommer, Sutcliffe and Torosian had RBIs.