DRAGONS COMBINE FOR 7 HOME RUNS TO COMPLETE SWEEP OF BEAVERS
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
Six different Blue Dragons combined for seven home runs as the Hutchinson Community College baseball team completed a four-game Jayhawk West sweep of the Pratt Beavers on Sunday at Hobart-Detter Field.
Adam Mustow and Blake Bradford homered and the Blue Dragons rallied in Game 1 from three runs down to defeat Pratt 11-4. The Blue Dragons then hit five home runs and scored at least one run in each offensive inning as the Blue Dragons finished off the four-game sweep with a 13-3 run-rule victory in seven innings.
The Blue Dragons match a season high, going three games over .500 at 14-11 overall and 5-3 in the Jayhawk West. Hutchinson plays Seward County next week in a four-game Jayhawk West series with the first two games on Thursday at Hobart-Detter Field. Pratt fell to 13-15 overall and 2-6 in the Jayhawk West.
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Entering the series, the Blue Dragons had a combined seven home runs in their first 21 games. The Blue Dragons hit 11 home run in the four-game series with Pratt.
Ryan Henderson finished the series with eight total hits, including four home runs, and 12 RBIs. Bradford and Cody Gunderson had two home runs each. Mustow, Will Edmunson and Jack Gardner also hit home runs.
The Blue Dragons outscored Pratt 41-28 and had 49 total hits, 20 for extra-bases in the series. The Blue Dragons were able to take advantage of 19 walks and 12 hit batsmen in the series.
GAME 1 RECAP
The Blue Dragons trailed Pratt 4-1 entering the Dragon sixth when Hutchinson's offense came to life.
The Dragons sent 15 batters to the plate in the sixth with the first 10 Hutchinson batters all reaching and scoring in a 10-run frame.
The inning started with a bad-hop single by Bradford, an Edmunson single and Gunderson getting hit by a pitch to load the bases. Mustow added an RBI infield single to cut the Pratt lead to 4-2. Henderson then lined a base hit to left field that bounded over the Pratt left fielder and rolled all the way to the wall to score three runs and Hutchinson led 5-4. Gardner added an RBI single, Cooper Wesslund singled in two and Bradford launched a three-run homer to center to cap the 10-run inning, the first double-figure inning for the Blue Dragons since February 23, 2022 at Rose State. The Dragons had nine total hits in the inning.
Jacob Hadden (1-0) pitched the final 1 2-3 innings to earn his first career victory. Hadden allowed two hits and struck out one in relief of starter Cole Toureau, who had a no decision in 5 1-3 innings of work. He allowed six hits, four runs and one walk while striking out four in his second-straight strong start.
The Blue Dragons totaled 14 hits in the first game with six different Blue Dragons collecting two hits each.
Bradford went 2 for 4 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBIs. Wesslund was 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Mustow was 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Edmunson was 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored. Gardner had his first multi-hit game of the season going 2 for 4 with a run and RBI. Henderson had a triple and three RBIs.
Trailing 3-0, the Blue Dragons got on the board with Mustow's second home run of the season, a solo blast to center.
GAME 2 RECAP
The 10-run sixth inning ignited the Dragon offense for the series finale as Hutchinson scored at least one run in all seven offensive innings.
Lost in the offensive onslaught was freshman starting pitcher Ethan Giesbrecht, who tossed the first complete game of the season for the Blue Dragons. Giesbrecht (1-1) went a season-long seven innings with six strikeouts for his first career victory. Giesbrecht scattered nine hits and allows single runs in the second, third and sixth innings.
Edmunson had a career-high four hits, going 4 for 4 and reached base in all five plate appearances. He scored four runs and hit a game-ending solo home run to lead off the seventh and invoke the run-rule.
Gunderson was 2 for 3 and a career-high five RBIs. Gunderson had a two-run double in the first inning and hit a three-run home run in a four-run sixth inning.
Gardner had his second-straight multi-hit game, going 2 for 3 with a career-high three RBIs and his first home run of the season, a three-run home run in the third inning.
Bradford hit a solo home run to right in the fourth. Henderson hit his fourth homer of the series, a solo blast in the sixth. Christian Powell had two RBIs in a single and his third sacrifice fly of the season.
The Blue Dragons had 12 hits in game four and reached double figures in hits in all four games in the series.