DRAGONS REBOUND TO SWEEP NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
GAINESVILLE, Texas – After a rough offensive day on Friday, the No. .17-ranked Hutchinson Community College softball team combined for 22 runs and 22 hits in a doubleheader sweep of North Central Texas on Saturday.
Ella Dougherty and Olivia Sandoval drove in three runs each to lift the Blue Dragons in Game 1 to a 12-6 victory. Madison Grimes had a season-high three hits in Game 2 as Hutchinson run-ruled NCTC 10-2 in five innings in Game 2.
The Blue Dragons improved to 8-3 overall and returns home to play Labette in a doubleheader at 2 and 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Fun Valley.
GAME 1 RECAP
The Blue Dragons used a six-run second inning and a four-run seventh-inning to break up the opener with NCTC.
Tied at 1-1 after one inning, the Blue Dragons took advantage of two North Central errors to take a 3-1 lead. Then Sandoval delivered a two-run single to score Preslee Irwin and Grace Sykora to make it 5-1. The Dragons closed the inning with an Aspen Goetz single that scored Dougherty and Sandoval scored on a wild pitch to complete the six-run inning and a 7-1 lead.
North Central Texas answered right back with four runs in the bottom of the second to cut the Dragon lead to 7-5. Hutchinson took an 8-6 lead into the seventh.
Loading the bases with one out in the top of the seventh, Dougherty cleared then with a triple to right-center field for an 11-6 lead. Dougherty then scored Hutchinson's 12th run on an RBI single by Grimes.
Dougherty went 3 for 5 with three runs scored and three RBIs to lead Hutchinson's 13-hit attack.
Grimes, Goetz and Allie Stipsits had two hits each. Sandoval also had three RBIs.
The Blue Dragons also took advantage of five NCTC errors
Korri Lies (2-1) earned the victory with 3 2-3 innings of relief work Lies allowed three hits and an earned run with two strikeouts and two walks.
Riley Wertz earned her first save of the season. She entered the game with one out in the bottom of the sixth with the Dragons leading 8-5. She got out of the jam in the sixth and retired NCTC in order in the seventh to close out the victory. Wertz struck out three in 1 2-3 innings.
GAME 2 RECAP
The Blue Dragons struck early and often in the second game on Saturday, scoring five runs in the first inning and adding four more runs in the second to build a 9-2 lead. The Dragons added a run in the third to build a 10-2 lead.
Wertz pitched the final 2 2-3 innings to earn the victory in the circle. She allowed two huts and no runs while striking out five.
Grimes led the Blue Dragons going 3 for 4 with her first home run of the season, an inside-the-park home run to lead off the second inning. Grimes had her first three-hit game of the season.
Jaeleigh Darnell hit her first home run as a Blue Dragon, a three-run shot to right field in the second inning. She went 2 for 3 with a season-high three RBIs.
Sandoval went 2 for 4 with a run scored. The Dragons out-hit NCTC 9-6.
Grimes started the five-run first with an RBI single that scored Dougherty. Goetz then added a two-run single to plate Sandoval and Grimes. Goetz scored to make it 4-0 on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to Sykora and made it 5-0 on a bases-loaded walk to Irwin.
North Central Texas scored two runs in the bottom of the first, but the Dragons answered right back with four runs in the second on Grimes' inside-the-park home run to lead off the second and Darnell's three-run homer to make it 9-2 Hutchinson.
The Blue Dragons scored their 10th run of the game with an Alexis Mastin sacrifice fly that scored Sandoval.