FAST START CARRIES BLUE DRAGONS PAST REIVERS
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – The Hutchinson Community College softball team scored nine runs in the first two inning on Saturday to earn a victory over Iowa Western at the Reiver Softball Tournament.
Led by leadoff hitter Bailey Backhaus' three-hit game, the Blue Dragons held on to defeat the Reivers 9-5. Hutchinson then closed the weekend with a 4-1 loss to Indian Hills to finish the weekend 2-2.
The Blue Dragons are now 14-6 overall. Hutchinson returns to Jayhawk Conference play on Wednesday at Dodge City.
HUTCHINSON 9, IOWA WESTERN 5
The Blue Dragons did their damage offensively against the Reivers in the first two innings to build a 9-1 lead.
The Dragons took advantage of five walks and a hit batter in their five-run first inning. Alexis Mastin and Korri Lies started the inning with RBI singles. The Dragons then got bases-loaded walks to Brie Brawner and Bailey Backhaus and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to Tamara Lozoya to complete the inning.
After Iowa Western scored a single run in the bottom of the first, Annie Kealey got that run right back with a leadoff home run for a 5-1 lead. Then with two out, Lozoya hit a two-run single and Bailey Backhaus added a run-scoring single to build a 9-1 lead.
Iowa Western scored one run in the fifth and three more in the seventh before the Dragons closed out the victory.
Bailey Backhaus went 3 for 3 to lead Hutchinson's nine-hit attack. She was on base in all five plate appearances with a pair of walks. Backhaus stole two bases and scored one run. Lozoya had three RBIs.
Morgan Tomlinson (4-1) earned the victory with 3 1-3 inning of relief work in the pitching circle. Tomlinson allowed five hits and four earned runs with three strikeouts.
Lies started the game and worked the first three innings.
INDIAN HILLS 4, HUTCHINSON 1
For the second-straight games against Indian Hills, the Blue Dragons got off to a slow start and made a late comeback only to fall short.
Down 4-0 and held to just one hit over the first five innings, the Blue Dragons loaded the bases in the sixth, but came up empty with the final out of the innings being thrown out at the plate. They loaded the bases again in the seventh. After Brawner scored on Brooke Backhaus' RBI single, the Dragon threat ended with a strikeout and force out.
The Blue Dragons out-hit Indian Hills 7-6 with seven different Hutchinson players collecting one hit each. The Dragons hit into two double plays.
Lake tossed a complete game. Over six innings, Lake allowed six hits and four runs with eight strikeouts and three walks.