DRAGONS ELIMINATED FROM REGION 6 TOURNAMENT

Kaibryn Kruger tries to fire up the dugout after a double vs. Butler on Saturday in the Region 6 Tournament at Dodge City. The Blue Dragons fell 8-3 to wrap up the 2025 season. (Steve Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)
Kaibryn Kruger tries to fire up the dugout after a double vs. Butler on Saturday in the Region 6 Tournament at Dodge City. The Blue Dragons fell 8-3 to wrap up the 2025 season. (Steve Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)
May 3, 2025

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

DODGE CITY – The Hutchinson Community College softball team saw its 2025 Region 6 Tournament run come to an end on Saturday evening in a third-round elimination game at Legends Park.

Butler hit two home runs and scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth to defeat the Blue Dragons 8-3. Earlier on Saturday, the Blue Dragons stayed alive with 4-3 win over Dodge City.

The Jayhawk Conference champion Blue Dragons close the 2025 season with a 37-11 record.

The Blue Dragons left the bases loaded in the first and left two runners on in the fifth. Butler had home runs in the second and fourth innings in building a 5-0 lead after five innings.

The Dragons finally broke through in the sixth. After a Kaibryn Kruger double, Tailor Golly hit a two-run home run to left field to cut the deficit to 5-2. Brie Brawner then singled home Brooke Backhaus in the sixth to cut the Butler lead to 5-3.

Things got away from the Blue Dragons in the bottom of the sixth when three errors led to three-unearned runs and rebuilt a five-run lead at 8-3.

Each team had six hits in the game.

Kruger went 2 for 4 with a double and run scored and Golly went 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs. Bailey Backhaus and Brawner had the other Hutchinson hits.

Morgan Tomlinson (21-7) went three-plus innings in her final Blue Dragon start. Tomlinson allowed four hits and three runs with two strikeouts and a walk. Jessica Schmidt pitched the final three innings.

For the Blue Dragon sophomores – Tomlinson, Bailey Backhaus, Brooke Backhaus, Brawner, Haley Kruger, Emily Dice and Annie Keeley – finishes an incredible two-year run with 86 wins, a Region 6 Championship in 2024, a Jayhawk Conference championship this season and the program's first-ever appearance in the NJCAA World Series.