DUNN, BAILEY DELIVER IN SWEEP OF COUGARS

Samarah Bailey twirls a three-hit shutout to earn her second pitching victory of the day as the Blue Dragon softball team sweeps Barton 5-4 and 5-0 on Thursday at Fun Valley. (Steve Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

March 11, 2021

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Kylee Dunn set up a big day for the Hutchinson Community College softball team with a walk-off single in Game 1. Then Samarah Bailey finished off a Jayhawk Conference sweep of the Barton Cougars with her first career complete game and shutout on Thursday at Fun Valley.

Dunn's game-winning single in the bottom of the seventh completed a Blue Dragon comeback in a 5-4 victory over Barton in the 2021 KJCCC opener on Thursday. Bailey then twirled a three-hit shutout in Game 2 to extend Hutchinson's current winning streak to six games and Jayhawk Conference win streak to seven dating back to last season.

Hutchinson is 10-4 overall and 2-0 in the Jayhawk East. Barton is 4-12 and 0-2.

Dunn's first career Blue Dragon walk-off was set up by a one-out Madison Grimes single. Grimes then stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Still at third with two out, Grimes scored when Dunn lined a ball right back at Barton pitcher Kayla Beers, which knocked the glove off the Barton pitcher and landed just behind the pitching circle.

That wound up giving Bailey the pitching victory in Game 1. Bailey worked the final 2-3 inning in the top of the seventh after Barton tied the game at 4-all. Bailey continued that momentum into Game 2 as Bailey tossed her first career collegiate shutout and complete game.

GAME 1 RECAP
Barton led the opener 3-1 going in the sixth inning. That changed in the bottom of the sixth when Dunn and Easton Head led off the inning with singles. Carley Sterneker then hammered a 3-2 pitch for a three-run home run to center field to give the Blue Dragons a 4-3 lead.

The Cougars battled back and tied the game on a Kayli Dryden home run in the top of the seventh off starter Miguela Guajardo. Bailey entered the game one batter later and ended the Barton threat with a pair of strikeouts. That set up the Dunn walk-off in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Dunn's game-winning hit was her team-high third of the day. She was 3 for 4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Grimes, Head and Sterneker all had two hits each. Head had a double and Grimes had her third triple of the season. Sterneker had a season-high three RBIs.

Blue Dragon catcher Lexi Williams went 0 for 4, which snapped her school-record 31-game hitting streak.

Guajardo gave the Dragons a strong start in the pitching circle. She worked a season-long 6 1-3 innings. She allowed 10 hits and four runs with a walk and strikeout. She left five Cougar runners on base.

GAME 2 RECAP
Bailey was in total control of the second game.

Using only 91 pitches, Bailey retired the first six Cougars she faced. Only once did Bailey face more than four batters in an inning and only two Cougars got past first base with only one reaching third. Bailey allowed only three singles and walked three with three strikeouts.

The Blue Dragons gave Bailey early and plenty of run support.

Grimes started things off with a two-run home run in the first inning. Haley Miller had an RBI single in the second for a 3-0 Dragon lead. Natalie Bevan led off the third with a home run for a 4-0 lead. Williams had an RBI groundout that scored Sterneker in the sixth for a 5-0 Hutchinson lead.

Bevan and Williams both had three hits to lead Hutchinson's nine hit attack. Bevan was 3 for 3 with a homer and two doubles. Williams was 3 for 4 with a pair of stolen bases.