CYMBALISTA’S CAREER DAY LEADS DRAGONS TO SPLIT WITH BUTLER

Colin Cymbalista went 4 for 5 with a homer and five RBIs in Hutchinson's 11-1 run-rule victory over Butler on Thursday in El Dorado. (Andrew Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

March 30, 2023

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

EL DORADO – Freshman catcher Colin Cymbalista hit his first home of the season and drove in a career-high five runs to lead the Hutchinson Community College baseball team to an 11-1 run-rule victory over Butler in eight innings and split the first two game of a Jayhawk West Series on Thursday at McDonald Stadium.

The Blue Dragons' eight-inning win over the Grizzlies snapped a four-game losing streak after Butler won the series opener 8-3 on Thursday.
Games 3 and 4 will be played at Hobart-Detter Field beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

GAME 2 RECAP
Cymbalista's big day in Game 2 started with his two-out two-run single in the first inning to give Hutchinson a 3-0 lead. He then capped off the Blue Dragons' eight-run eighth inning with a three-run home run for an 11-1 Hutchinson lead.

Cymbalista led the Blue Dragons' 13-hit attack, going 4 for 5 with five RBIs. He also scored two runs. Cymbalista also was strong defensively, throwing out a runner at second base trying to advance on a wild pitch to end a Butler threat in the fourth inning.

Cymbalista gave pitchers Sam Ojeda and Michael Uhler plenty of run support

Ojeda gave up a first-inning run, but held the Grizzlies scoreless over his next four innings. Ojeda (2-1) earned the victory with four hits, one earned run and one walk allowed. Ojeda struck out four.

Uhler earned his first career save with three scoreless innings. He surrendered three hits and one walk. Uhler struck out four and he retired the final four batters he faced.

Ryan Henderson went 2 for 5 with two RBIs. Henderson had a two-run single in the eighth inning. Will Edmunson was 2 for 4 with two runs scored.

A.J. Mustow had an RBI double in the first and Cody Gunderson had an RBI single in the eighth.

GAME 1 RECAP
Butler out-hit Hutchinson 10-2 in the opening game. The Grizzlies also answered the Blue Dragons in the two runs they scored in to build a five-run lead.

The Dragons scored a single run in the third when Cooper Westland singles moved to third on two wild pitches and scored on Christian Powell's sacrifice fly.

The Dragons then loaded the bases with no out in the fourth and pulled within 5-3 on Jack Gardner's two-run single scored Edmunson and Gunderson.

Reed Scott (3-2) suffered the loss after allowing seven hits and seven earned runs over four innings.