BLUE DRAGONS OPEN SEASON WITH SWEEP OF PIONEERS

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

ALTUS, Oklahoma – Sophomore Morgan Tomlinson and freshman Aubree Thomas has strong performances in the circle as the No. 22-ranked Hutchinson Community College softball team earned their sixth-straight Opening Day sweep on Saturday.

Tomlinson tossed a complete game in Hutchinson's 6-3 season-opening win over Western Oklahoma State. Thomas followed with six shutout innings as the Blue Dragons completed the sweep with a 4-1 victory over the Pioneers.

The Blue Dragons (2-0) have had next weekend's schedule altered and will not open at home. Instead, Hutchinson will travel to Chanute for a neutral-site doubleheader on Saturday, February 8 against Iowa Western at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. The Dragons are now scheduled to open at Fun Valley on Thursday, February 13 against Crowder College.

GAME 1 RECAP – Hutchinson 6, Western Oklahoma State 3
Tomlinson (1-0) had her third career complete game scattering nine hits over seven innings.

The sophomore right-hander struck out three and walked one, using 105 total pitches.

Tomlinson's biggest jam to work through came in the third. With two runs already in, the Pioneers had runners at first and third with one out. Tomlinson got a key strikeout and a flyout to right fielder Gabby Stauffer to end the inning. Tomlinson stranded seven runners on base, four in scoring position.

The Blue Dragons out-hit the Pioneers 11-9 in the opener.

Sophomore Bailey Backhaus went 3 for 4 from the leadoff position with a double, two RBIs and two stolen bases to lead Hutchinson. Stauffer was 2 for 4 with an RBI double. Sophomore Brie Brawner went 2 for 4 with a two-run double.

The Dragons took a 1-0 lead in the first when Stauffer's two-double double scored Kaibryn Kruger with the season's first run. Bailey Backhaus gave the Dragons a 3-0 lead with a two-out, two-run double in the second that scored Brawner and Haley Kruger.

Freshman catcher Tailor Golly hit a leadoff home run in the top of the fifth to give the Dragons a 4-2 lead.

Then leading 4-3 in the top of the seventh, Brawner rifled a two-run double to right to score Kaibryn Kruger and pinch runner Lilian Sapp for two insurance runs and a 6-3 lead.

The Blue Dragons combined for six stolen bases in Game 1

GAME 2 RECAP – Hutchinson 4, Western Oklahoma State 1
Thomas (1-0) scattered four hits over six shutout innings for her first career victory. She didn't face more than one baserunner in any single innings on Saturday. Only one Pioneer runner advance to third base against her.

Thomas struck out three and walked run in her 95-pitcher performance. She faced no more than four batters in any one inning.

The closest the Pioneers came to scoring came in the third. With a runner at second, Stauffer got the Dragons out of the inning unscathed as she ran down a line drive down the right-field line for the final out of the inning.

Offensively, the Blue Dragons racked up eight total hits led by Kaibryn Kruger, who went 2 for 4 with three singles, two stolen bases and a run scored. Brooke Backhaus was 2 for 3 with an RBI double. The Blue Dragons once again had six total stolen bases.

The Dragons took a 1-0 lead in the second when Brooke Backhaus doubled in Brawner. They made it 3-0 with two unearned runs in the third inning as Bailey Backhaus and Kaibryn Kruger both scored. Kruger came in on an RBI groundout by Addison Lutz.

The Dragons made it 4-0 when sophomore Emily Dice singled home Broke Backhaus.

Freshman pitcher Jessica Schmidt pitched the bottom of the seventh for the Dragons and allowed one run on two hits with a strikeout.

GAME NOTES – The six stolen bases in each game tied for the eighth most in Blue Dragon modern-day single-game history. … Bailey Backhaus had four stolen bases combined on Saturday, moving her into a tie for fourth place on the Blue Dragon career stolen base list with 29 career steals. Bailey Backhaus jumped past Izzy Godinez and Bekah Roberts into the tie for fourth place.