MAZZA HITS EXTRA-INNING WALK-OFF HOMER TO TOP DMACC
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
Freshman Anthony Mazza continued his torrid start to the 2025 season on Monday evening, hitting an extra-inning walk-off home run to lead the No. 21-ranked Hutchinson Community College baseball team over Des Moines Area Community College at Hobart-Detter Field.
Mazza's solo home run came with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning as Hutchinson defeated DMACC 4-3 to complete a 2-0 day on Monday.
The Blue Dragons are now 7-0 for the second-straight year, while Des Moines Area fell to 5-6. The Dragons and Bears will play a pair of seven-inning games to close out the three-game series beginning at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Hobart-Detter Field.
Mazza hit the Blue Dragons' first walk-off home run since Blake Bradford hit a walk-off inside-the-park home run to defeat Colby 8-7 on April 21, 2024. The last out-of-the-park walk-off homer by a Blue Dragon was by Tyler DeLong on May 14, 2021 for an 11-10 win over Allen at Hobart-Detter Field.
The Blue Dragons had just two hits after the third inning and the Bears tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth on a solo home run by Jackson Manning. With bases empty and two out in the bottom of the eighth, Mazza hit a 2-2 pitch off Gage Miller over the right-field wall for the game-winning home run.
The Blue Dragon bullpen stepped up late in the game to keep the Bears from cashing on several threats.
Noah McCombs gave up a leadoff double to Colin Driscoll in the sixth, but struck out the next three batters to strand the runner at second. DMACC loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh and McCombs got a strikeout and groundout to shortstop Taber Stokes to end that threat. Then in the top of the eighth against winning pitcher Collin Flores (1-0), the Bears got two baserunner via hit batsmen with one out, Florida got out of the inning with a called third strike and flyball to right field to end that threat.
The Dragons left 11 runners on bases, while Des Moines Area stranded 10.
Mazza had his sixth multi-hit game in seven games, going 2 for 4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Mazza has started the season going 16 for 24 (.667) with eight RBIs.
The Dragons had a season-low seven hits. Jarrett Herrmann was 1 for 2 with a pair of RBIs. He had an RBI single in the first for a 1-0 Dragon lead. The Dragons took a 3-2 lead on the fourth when Herrmann was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing home Mazza.
Five Blue Dragon pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts against the Bears. Starter Trenton Roehler had two strikeouts in one inning. Lachlan Rosser had a season-high six strikeouts in three innings. McCombs had four strikeouts and Flores added one strikeout.
Des Moines Area, which defeated Highland 4-0 earlier on Monday, out-hit the Dragons 8-7.