DECRANE’S PERFECT DAY HIGHLIGHTS DRAGON SWEEP

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Freshman Kiara DeCrane went a combined 7 for 7 with seven RBIs and two homers to power the No. 18 Hutchinson Community College softball team to a Jayhawk East doubleheader sweep of the Coffeyville Red Ravens on Friday at Fun Valley.

DeCrane had three singles while Izzy Godinez and Bekah Roberts each had two-run inside-the-park home runs as the Blue Dragons run-ruled Coffeyville 11-2 in five innings in Game one. DeCrane then went 4 for 4 with five RBIs as the Blue Dragons rallied from three early deficits to earn a second run-rule win, 13-5 in the nightcap.

The Blue Dragons extend their winning streak to six games and improve to 16-2 overall and 3-1 in the Jayhawk East. The Dragons play host to Labette in another Jayhawk East doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Fun Valley.

Hutchinson scored at least one run in every offensive inning it had on Friday, combining for 24 runs and 33 hits.

A lot of the damage the Blue Dragons did offensively on Friday came with two outs. Hutchinson was 13 for 17 with eight RBIs in two-out situations in the first game. The Dragons went 8 for 11 with four two-out RBIs in the second game.

GAME 1 RECAP
Leading 2-0 in the second inning, the Blue Dragons' team speed did plenty of damage.

With two out in the second, Roberts reached on an infield single and Godinez brought her home with a two-run inside-the-park home run to center field. Hutch tacked on a third second-inning with a DeCrane RBI single to give the Dragons a 5-2 lead after two.

That same theme carried over to the third. With a runner at second and two out, Roberts smacked a two-run inside-the-park home run to make it 7-1. Godinez then tripled and scored on a Coffeyville throwing error. Raven Bass and DeCrane tacked on RBI hits to cap a five-run inning to give Hutch a 10-1 lead after three innings.

The Blue Dragons hammered out 15 hits, eight for extra bases.

DeCrane was 3 for 3 with three singles and two RBIs to lead Hutchinson.

Godinez had two hits and seven total bases with a triple and homer. Bass was 2 for 2 with two doubles and an RBI. Brynne Stockman was 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Ashton Reynolds, Kameron Pope and Roberts all had two hits each.

Starting pitcher D.J. Cannon moved to 9-0 for the season with her seventh complete game. Cannon struck out five and allowed seven hits and two earned runs. She walked none. Cannon retired the first six batters she faced before the Ravens scratched single runs in both the third and fifth innings.

The Blue Dragons also took advantage of five Coffeyville errors in Game 1.

GAME 2 RECAP
The Blue Dragons rallied from three different deficits in the second game before exploding for seven runs in their final two at-bats. Hutch trailed 1-0, 4-2 and 5-4, but answered every Coffeyville offensive advance.

The Dragons erased the first deficit with a Reynolds RBI double and DeCrane's two-out solo home run in the first inning. Hutch tied the game at 4-all after two innings with an RBI double by Godinez and RBI single from Bass. Hutch then took the lead for good in the third after Cannon tied the game with a solo home run and then led 6-5 after Godinez' second-straight RBI double.

Hutch extended the lead to 8-5 on a DeCrane two-run home run. Roberts added an RBI single to cap a three-run fourth. The Dragons closed the game out in the fifth as the first six Hutch batters reached base. DeRane capped her perfect day with a twor-8n single and Pope finished the game off with an RBI single.

The unsung story of Game 2 was the relief work of sophomore pitcher Destine Schulze, who tossed a very efficient 2 1-2 scoreless innings of relief to earn the pitching victory. Schulze allowed just two hits in her relief effort. She didn't record a strikeout or walk in relief of Stockman, who allowed seven hits and only two runs in 2 2-3 innings.

The Dragons hammered out 18 hits in the nightcap, led by DeCrane's 4 for 4 game with two homers and five RBIs. This was the second time in four games that DeCrane has had a multi-home run game. The first was against Hesston College on Tuesday.

Godinez was 3 for 3 with a triple, two doubles, three runs scored and two RBIs. Stockman was 3 for 3 with a run scored and RBI.

Bass, Pope and Roberts all had two hits for Hutchinson.