DRAGON BASEBALL TAKES OPENING-WEEKEND SERIES OVER DMACC
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
The No. 24 Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragons rebounded from a series-opening loss to win the final two games of a three-game series against Des Moines Area Community College over the weekend at Hobart-Detter Field.
After dropping Saturday's opener 10-9, Hutchinson responded with a 5-2 win in Game 2 before edging DMACC 13-12 in Sunday's series finale to claim the series and improve to 2-1 on the season.
Hutchinson jumped out to a fast start in Game 1, scoring five runs over the first two innings. Anthony Mazza doubled home a run in the opening frame before Jordan Kuhnau crushed a two-run home run to center field. Tyson Vassart followed with a two-run homer in the second inning to give the Blue Dragons a 5-0 lead.
Des Moines Area countered with a five-run fourth inning, scoring twice on wild pitches and adding RBI hits from Maverick DeVeau and Brayden Foster to flip the game's momentum. The Bears added runs in the seventh and eighth innings and held off a late Hutchinson rally to secure the one-run victory.
The Blue Dragons evened the series Saturday afternoon with a 5-2 win in Game 2 behind strong pitching and timely offense. Hutchinson scored in the first, second and fifth innings and held DMACC to two runs. Seth Ainsworth earned the win on the mound, throwing 3.2 innings and allowing just two hits and recording six strikeouts. Starter Merek Yeager went a strong 3.1 innings, giving up three hits, two runs, and struck out eight batters.
Mazza and Jackson Schanuel each went 2-for-3 at the plate. Cru Huenfeld had two RBIs.
Hutchinson secured the series on Sunday with a 13-12 victory in a back-and-forth finale that featured multiple lead changes.
The Blue Dragons scored in six different innings and held on late to avoid a sweep. Des Moines Area scored five in the third and four in the seventh.
Aidan Marien led Hutchinson's offense in the finale, going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI. Mazza and Huenfeld also drove in runs as Hutchinson totaled 13 hits. Brayden Henry earned the win in relief. Finn Hochstein pinch-hit and was 2-for-2 and scored two runs.
Hutchinson opens the season at 2-1, while Des Moines Area finished the weekend 1-2. The Blue Dragons ended the series with 32 total hits and scored 27 runs.