Centerfielder Jamell Cervantez dives to make a catch to get the Blue Dragons out of a bases-loaded jam in the second inning against Butler.
	Daniel Tullos fired 8 2-3 innings on the mound against the Grizzlies.

2010 Region VI Super-Regional - Opening Round
Hutchinson 9, Butler 8
May 16, 2010 - Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, Wichita

BLUE DRAGONS SURVIVE
REGION VI OPENER
AGAINST BUTLER

CLICK FOR BOXSCORE

WICHITA – Sophomore Matt Williams hit his second career grand slam and freshman Daniel Tullos followed his 10-inning complete game in the sub-regionals with 8 2-3 tough innings to lead the Hutchinson Community College baseball team to a wild 9-8 victory over Jayhawk West co-champion Butler on Sunday, May 16 in the opening game of the 2010 Region VI Baseball championship at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Williams’ grand slam was part of a six-run eighth inning that helped HCC build a 9-3 lead after eight innings. Tullos tossed 8 2-3 innings and freshman closer Andy Urban completed his 10th save of the season after Butler erupted for five runs in the top of the ninth to pull within one run.

This was the seventh game in the last eight postseason contests that HCC has played a game decided by two or fewer runs and snapped a four-game losing streak at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

The victory was the 999th in Blue Dragon team history.

“We found ways to chip away like we always do,” said Williams, whose team trailed 1-0 and 3-2 before rallying. “We don’t do things pretty all the time, but we find a way.”

Hutchinson has trailed in each postseason game this season, going 5-1 now in sub-regional and regional play.

“It doesn’t matter how it gets done, as long as it gets done,” HCC head coach Kyle Crookes said. “It can be hard; it doesn’t have to be pretty. It can be ugly. You are trying to teach these kids that are important later in their career. Teaching Tullos out to finish a game. Teaching Urban how to slam the door shut. Teaching the defense how to make plays when it counts. There’s a lot of guys who did enough right to get the win.”

The Blue Dragons got two hits each from sophomores Andrew Dixon, Dan Klein and Williams to power an 11-hit attack of a pair of Butler pitchers. Hutchinson also stole 6 of 7 bases to break the program’s single-season record with 166 steals. Dixon had a pair of stolen bases.

The lead changed hands three times. Hutchinson tied the game in the seventh with an unearned run, and then exploded for six runs in the bottom of the eighth.

First Acosta drove in his first run since April 28 with an opposite field single to right to score Ryan Mayfield for a 4-3 lead. Sophomore David Longmore singled to left to plate Acosta for a 5-3 lead. Then on a 0-1 pitch from Butler reliever Steve Jensen, Williams launched a grand slam to right center field to put HCC up 9-3. It was Williams’ second career grand slam.

Butler had 14 hits against Hutchison, got 13 hits with two outs on Sunday. It was with two outs in the ninth that the Grizzlies (38-20) mounted a serious threat that brought the game-tying run to third base before the Dragons finally closed the game out.

Five straight reached off of Tullos before being pulled. Then Urban allowed a bases-loaded walk and a two-run single by pinch-hitter Bret Lentz to pull Butler within 9-8. Urban then got leadoff hitter Brennan Murphy to ground to Acosta at second to end the game.

“We are putting a lot of faith in some freshman on the mound,” Crookes said. “We’ve done it all year. We are going to continue to have to.”

Tullos (6-3) earned the win with 8 2-3 innings. He struck out four and walked three, but gave up season highs of 13 hits and eight earned runs, but five came in the ninth.

Before that, Tullos held the Grizzlies to three runs and 10 hits in the first eight innings. He worked out of a major second-inning jam when, with the bases loaded, Cervantez made a diving catch on a sinking Murphy line drive to left center.

Williams, who hit his fifth homer of the season and ninth of his career, had four RBIs to lead HCC.

“You have to give Luke and our while lineup a lot of credit,” Tullos said. “Matty hit the bomb. They come out and play hard every day.”

Shelton Howell went 3 for 5 with a run and RBI to lead Butler. Connor Sinclair (7-5) look his second loss to HCC in two weeks, going 7 1-3 innings.

GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are 999-650-1. … HCC has stolen 14 of 15 bases in the last three games. … The 2010 Blue Dragons surpass the 2003 HCC team for the stolen base team record. … HCC now has 509 team hits, eighth on the all-time team list. … The 2010 Blue Dragons have amassed 14 saves, second only to the 2004 team’s 15 team saves. … Luke Acosta becomes just the third Blue Dragon ever to reach 60 career stolen bases. … Dixon broke a tie with Nick Thigpen for fourth on the career steals list with 57. … Andy Urban is now tied for third – tied with Kyle Rosine and Matt Podjenski – on the career saves list with 10. Josh Condon (2000-01) has the career mark with 12. His 10 saves are second most in HCC single-season history behind Hollander’s 11 in 2004. … Dixon is now tied for seventh on the single-season hits list with 74. … Dixon is now ninth of the single-season stolen base list with 28. Acosta is tied for 10th with 27 steals. … Shaun Hoover drew his 40th walk of the season, which is tied for fourth most in a single-season.