GOETZ’S 8 HITS, 8 RBIS HELP DRAGONS EXTEND WIN STREAK TO 12

Aspen Goetz goes a combined 8 for 8 with eight RBIs to lead the Blue Dragons to a doubleheader sweep of Pratt on Saturday in Pratt. (Steve Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

April 30, 2022

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

PRATT – Freshman Aspen Goetz's perfect day at the plate paced the No. 15-ranked Hutchinson Community College softball team to a KJCCC doubleheader sweep of the Pratt Beavers and closed the 2022 regular season on a 12-game winning streak.

The Blue Dragons finished off the regular season with a pair of five-inning run-rule victories over the Beavers, 15-2 and 22-0.

Hutchinson is now 38-6 entering Friday's Region VI Tournament, finishing second in the KJCCC for the second-straight season with a program record 29 conference wins (29-3). The 38 wins tie the 2016 and 2018 Blue Dragon teams for the fifth-most wins in a season in program history.

The Dragons will open play in the 2022 Region VI Tournament on Friday in Dodge City. Official pairings will be released early next week.

The Blue Dragons' 12-game winning streak ties for the fifth-longest win streaks in program history, matching win streaks done twice in 2016. This is the Blue Dragons' second win streak of 10 or more game this season, ninth win streak of 10 or more games in program history and the seventh of 12 or more wins.

With a combined 37 runs scored on 38 hits on Saturday, the Blue Dragons had their biggest combined doubleheader output since Fort Scott last season when Hutchinson amassed 30 runs on 27 hits on February 5, 2021. The Blue Dragons combined for seven home runs in the doubleheader.

Goetz led the way by going a combined 8 for 8 with three doubles, two home runs, eight RBIs and five runs scored against Pratt. Goetz's huge afternoon raised her batting average 52 points from .272 to .324. Goetz is now second on the team with seven home runs and moved into second on the team with 38 RBIs.

GAME 1 RECAP
The Blue Dragons opened their Saturday offensive onslaught with a six-run second inning in Game 1. Hutchinson scored runs in four of five offensive innings and outhit Pratt 17-4.

Goetz and second baseman Ella Dougherty both went 4 for 4 in the opener to pace the Blue Dragons.

Goetz had a homer, two doubles in her second four-hit game. The four RBIs matched a season high for the third time. Goetz had an RBI single in the second, two-run home run in the third and had an RBI double in the fourth.

Dougherty had her third four-hit game with a double, two runs and a stolen base with two RBIs. Dougherty had a bases-loaded walk in the second and an RBI single in Hutchinson's five-run fifth inning.

No other Blue Dragon had more than one hit, but 11 different Hutchinson players had hits and eight different Blue Dragons had at least one RBI.

Freshman Grace Sykora pinch hit and hit her first career home run in the fourth inning. Allie Stipsits also had a double.

Starting pitcher Emily Munson improved to 9-0 for the season, tossing three shutout innings. Munson allowed two hits and struck out four. Kiersten Wietze worked the fourth and Riley Wertz struck out the side in the fifth to close out the game.

GAME 2 RECAP
Hutchinson posted season highs with 22 runs, 21 hits and five home runs in Game 2.

The 22 runs scored are fifth most in Blue Dragon single-season history. The 21 hits tied for fifth most in team history and the five home runs are fifth most in team history, the most homers in a game since Fort Scott in February of 2021.

The Blue Dragons homered four times in a seven-run fifth inning. Wertz, Goetz and Lexi McDonald all hit two-run homers while Sykora pinch hit and drilled a solo home run.

The other home run came from sophomore Natalie Bevan, who pounded a three-run blast in Hutchinson's eight-run second inning.

Twelve Blue Dragons had at least one hit and 11 different Hutchinson players had RBIs.

Goetz led the way with her second-straight 4 for 4 game – her third three-hit game of the season – with a homer, double and four RBIs. Goetz also had a two-run double in the second inning.

Freshman Anna Berblinger came off the bench to go 3 for 3 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored.

Madison Grimes, Lexi Pitcher, Wertz and Stipsits all had two runs each. Haley Miller, McDaniel and Wertz had two RBIs each.

The Dragons had a season-high 10 extra base hits.

Sadie Loney and Morgan Pennycuff combined for a one-hit shutout. Loney struck out two and hit a batter in the first two innings. Pennycuff (2-0) got the win with three shutout innings. She allowed one hit and struck out five.