LEWELLEN STRONG IN CIRCLE; DRAGONS DROP PAIR TO COLBY

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Freshman pitcher Madison Lewellen had her strongest performance of the season on Saturday in the Hutchinson Community College softball team's long-awaited return to Fun Valley.

Lewellen allowed only four hits and two earned runs in a complete-game performance, but the Blue Dragon offense struggled in their first home games in 31 days.

The Blue Dragons dropped both ends of a Jayhawk Conference doubleheader to Colby, 2-0 and 8-3. Hutchinson falls to 4-6 overall and 0-4 in the Jayhawk East. The Dragons will travel to on Monday and Independence on Tuesday.

Lewellen (0-3) allowed just two third-inning runs in the first game. She struck out a season-high six and walked only two. After getting out of jams in the first two innings, Lewellen allowed a pair of two-out hits in the top of the third to give Colby a 2-0 lead. Those were the only runs of the game.

Lewellen grew stronger and retired the final 10 Colby batters she faced.

Unfortunately, Colby pitcher Mahealani Haegele held the Blue Dragons to just one hit over her seven innings of work. Haegele struck out 10.

Haegele allowed only a third-inning walk to Caitlin Schumacher to lead off the third over her first four innings. Ashley Wilson broke up the no-hit bid with a leadoff double to left-center field. The Dragons were unable to move Wilson any further. After that, Haegele allowed a sixth-inning walk to A.J. Briones and a seventh-inning walk to pinch-hitter Maddie Miner.

GAME 2 RECAP
Hutch's offense didn't have a hit through the first three innings of the second game. Trailing 1-0, that all changed in the fourth.

Alexis Way led off the fourth with Hutch's first hit, a blooper near the right-field line. Way moved from first to third on Shelby Felvus's sacrifice bunt and scored on Sabrina Luttig's single to center to tie the game at one. Wilson then lashed a double to left-center to score Luttig and give Hutch a 2-1 lead.

Colby immediately answered with four runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to take command of the game.

Luttig, who was 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs, hit her fourth home run of the season with one out in the sixth inning.

The Blue Dragons had seven hits in the second game Wilson was 2 for 3 with a double and RBI. Alexis Way was 2 for 4 with a double and run scored.

Sophomore pitcher Megan Davis (1-3) was tagged with the loss. Four Hutchinson pitchers allowed 10 hits, including three doubles.