GARDEN CITY SWEEPS DRAGONS IN OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION

Natalie Bevan had two home runs and six RBIs in Game 2 Saturday, but the Blue Dragons lost a pair to Garden City on the road. (Taylor Meyer/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

March 20, 2021

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

GARDEN CITY – With the wind blowing out at about 40 mph, the Hutchinson Community College softball team and the Garden City Broncbusters combined for 66 total runs and 18 home runs on Saturday in a Jayhawk Conference doubleheader.

Unfortunately for the Blue Dragons, Garden City had 40 of those runs and 14 of those home runs in a KJCCC sweep of Hutchinson. Garden City won the first game in five innings, 16-3, and then walked off for a 24-23 victory.

Hutchinson fell to 12-8 overall and 4-2 in the KJCCC. Hutchinson had its nine-game league winning streak snapped.

GAME 2 RECAP
The 47 combined runs in the second game were the second most in Blue Dragon softball history. That record was established on March 9, 2014 when Hutchinson and Brown Mackie combined for 53 runs (Hutch won 27-26).

The Blue Dragons scored 20 or more runs for the second time this season and tied for the sixth-most runs scored in a single game in Blue Dragon history. The 24 runs allowed were the second most in team history and the eight Garden City home runs were the most allowed in a single game in team history.

Hutchinson led 15-5 after 3 1/2 innings, but Garden City scored five in the fourth and 12 in in the fifth inning to take a 22-15 lead.

The Blue Dragons tied the game with a seven-run sixth inning. Madison Simoneau tied the game with a three-run home run. Hutch then took a 23-22 lead in the top of the seventh when Madison Grimes was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a two-base fielding error.

Garden City rallied to win in the bottom with two runs in the bottom of the seventh when Elycia Johnson doubled in two runs for a walk-off hit.

Each Blue Dragon position player had at least two hits and scored at least two runs with 7 of the 9 driving in runs.

Natalie Bevan hit two home runs and a double for a career-high six RBIs – she is the 14th Blue Dragon with 6 or more RBIs in single-game history.

Lexi Williams, Kylee Dunn and Simoneau all had three hits.

Hutchinson had 22 total hits, which tied for ninth most in single game history.

Garden City's Mckayla Encinias hit three home runs and drove in six RBIs as Garden City had 21 total hits.

Jordan Galliher (5-1) suffered her first loss of the season, going 5 1-3 innings.

GAME 1 RECAP
Garden City hit three home runs in its first four at-bats and had four homers in an eight-run first as the Busters dominated Game 1 in a five-inning run-rule victory.

The Busters hit six home runs and had 17 total hits. Encinias had two homers and four RBIs in the opening game.

Hutch trailed 16-0 through four innings before Hutchinson finally got on the board when Alexis Way hit her first home run of the season, a two-run homer and Haley Miller scored on an error in a three-run fifth inning.

Way led the Dragons with two hits and two RBIs. Hutchinson had seven hits in Game 1.

Samarah Bailey (4-4) was the losing pitcher in Game 1.

The Blue Dragons play host to Northwest Tech on Tuesday at Fun Valley.