PITCHING, FRESHMEN STEP UP FOR DRAGONS ON OPENING DAY

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Just when it looked like pitchers Sadie Loney and Samarah Bailey would be the headliners from Opening Day of the Hutchinson Community College softball season, the Blue Dragon freshmen stole the show in Game 2 against Fort Scott.

Freshmen Madison Grimes and Easton Head each launched a pair of home runs while classmates Cheyenne Collins and Madison Simoneau also left the yard to power the Blue Dragons to a sweep of the Greyhounds on Fun Valley.

Loney and Bailey combined for a two-hit shutout in Hutchinson's 3-0 win in Game 1 over Fort Scott. The Blue Dragon offense exploded in Game 2 with six home runs and a single-inning record 15-run second as Hutchinson roared to a 27-0 win in five innings in the nightcap.

The Blue Dragons (2-0) earn their second-straight season-opening doubleheader sweep. Last season the Dragons swept Allen at TRYC in Wichita.

The Blue Dragons' 27-run outburst tied for the second-most runs in modern-day Blue Dragon softball history. Hutchinson also had 27 runs against Brown Mackie in 2014 and Pratt in 2019. The single-game record is 28 runs.

The six home runs in Game 2 were the third-most homers hit in single-game Blue Dragon history. That record is seven homers since in 2018 against the Bethany College JV and tied last season at Colby. Four different freshman homering in the same game is also a Blue Dragon record.

Hutchinson's 15-run second inning surpassed the 14-run third inning against Brown Mackie on April 16, 2008. Hutchinson sent 18 batters to the plate and collected 11 of its 20 total hits in that inning.

Collins became the first Blue Dragon to homer in her first collegiate at-bat since Kiara DeCrane in 2018.

Lost in all that was the fact that with her third-inning stolen base, sophomore catcher Lexi Williams became the Blue Dragons' career stolen base leader. Williams is now 30 for 30 in stolen bases for her career, doing so in just 25 career games. Williams was tied with Jessica Glenn (2008-09) for the career lead heading into the season. Williams also extended her school-record hitting streak to 23 games, dating back to last season.

Grimes had a huge day in her Blue Dragon debut, going a combined 6 for 8 in the doubleheader. She was 4 for 5 with five runs scored and five RBIs in the second game.

Head went 2 for 3 with five RBIs and a pair of runs scored in the second game as Hutchinson pounded out 20 total hits, eight going for extra bases.

Williams, Natalie Bevan, Kylee Dunn Caitlin Schumacher and Bailey Pennycuff all had two hits each. Schumacher had a triple. Pennycuff was 4 for 4 combined in the doubleheader.

Pitchers Jordan Galliher and Mequela Guajardo combined for a one-hit shutout in Game 2. Galliher, who pitched a perfect game in her Blue Dragon debut on Opening Day last season, didn't allow a hit or run over three innings to earn the victory. She struck out four and walked two. Guajardo allowed a one-out hit in the fourth inning to Mekenzie Sample, but quickly erased that with an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play started by Grimes. Guajardo and three strikeouts in her two innings of work.

GAME 1 RECAP
The first game was played in a crisp 1 hour, 36 minutes and was dominated by the pitchers for both teams.

Loney went a career-long six innings and had a career-high nine strikeouts. She allowed just two hits and walked three. Loney had only one inning with multiple baserunners, which came in the sixth. Loney got some defensive help and Williams threw out Reagan Maple trying to steal second and Grimes ended the inning with a strong charge and throw to first on a slow-hit ground ball to her left by Haven Kelly.

Bailey came in to pitch the seventh. After Fort Scott's leadoff batter reached on an error, Bailey struck out the next three Greyhounds to earn her first career save.

The Blue Dragons scored single runs in the second, third and fifth innings in a seven-hit performance against Fort Scott pitcher Chelsi Boydston, who struck out four and walked none in six innings.

The Dragons got on the board with an unearned run in the second. After Dunn tripled to center, she scored on a bad throw one batter later. Williams singled home Pennycuff in the third. Alexis Way hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Schumacher in the fifth to make it 3-0.

Grimes and Pennycuff had two hits each in Game 1.