DRAGONS SWEEP PRATT, SECURE 3RD PLACE IN JAYHAWK WEST
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
PRATT – The Hutchinson Community College baseball team took care of business on Saturday at Stanion Field with a doubleheader sweep of the Pratt Beavers.
Sophomores Quinn Maher and Taber Stokes drove in two runs each to lead Hutchinson to a 7-3 win over the Beavers in Game 1 on Saturday.
Stokes followed his Game 1 performance with a two-hit game to lead the Blue Dragons to a 9-4 win that gave the Blue Dragons a 3-1 series win over the Beavers, their 12th-straight series win over Pratt dating back to 2013.
The Blue Dragons close the regular season with a 37-19 overall record and secured third place in the Jayhawk West with an 18-14 mark.
The Dragons will be the No. 3 seed out of the Jayhawk West and will unofficially play Allen in the opening round of the Region 6 Tournament next week at Hobart-Detter Field. Official pairings will be released on Sunday.
GAME 1 RECAP – Hutchinson 7, Pratt 3
The Blue Dragons made a four-run third inning stand up in Game 1.
Maher lined a single to right field to score A.J. Mustow and Nick Glantz for a 2-0 lead. Then Stokes it a two-run home run to left field for a 4-0 lead.
The Dragons added to the lead when C.J. Reid singled home Cael Hamrick in the top of the sixth for a 5-0 lead. The Beavers finally broke through against Blue Dragon starter Seth Ainsworth for three runs, cutting the Hutchinson lead to two runs.
Hutchinson answered right back in the top of the seventh when A.J. Mustow led off the inning with a home run and Glantz scored on a wild pitch for a 7-3 lead.
Ainsworth pitched 5 2-3 innings to earn the victory. He allowed seven hits and three runs with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Colin Flores earned his seventh save of the season with 1 1-3 innings. Flores had three strikeouts.
The Blue Dragons had 10 total hits in Game 1. The only extra-base hits were home runs from Stokes and Mustow.
Stokes was 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Mustow was 2 for 3 with a RBI and two runs scored. Maher was 1 for 4 with two RBIs
GAME 2 RECAP – Hutchinson 9, Pratt 4
Stokes followed his Game 1 performance with two hits – the only Hutchinson player with a multi-hit game in Game 2 – with two runs and an RBI. Stokes walked and scored in the Dragons' four-run third inning. He then singled and scored in the Dragons' three-run fourth to build an 8-0 lead.
The Blue Dragons had just seven hits in Game 2, but racked up eight stolen bases. Reid, Anthony Mazza and Maher had two steals each. Stokes and Mustow had the other steals.
Scotty Fegen had a two-run single in the third inning. Mustow, Glantz and Maher also had RBI singles in the game.
Starting pitcher Noah McCombs pitched three scoreless innings with two hits allowed and two strikeouts to earn the pitching win. Gabe Perry, Jake Wolcott, Brandt Phillips and Flores combined for six innings of relief work