DRAGON PITCHERS TOSS BACK-TO-BACK SHUTOUTS TO OPEN SERIES WITH HAWKS

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Pitchers Aubrey Thomas, Hailey Ediger and Alyssa Rogers combined to throw consecutive run-rule shutouts on Thursday as the Hutchinson Community College softball team opened a four-game series with the Northeast (NE) Community College Hawks on Thursday at Fun Valley.

Thomas tossed a complete-game three-hit shutout as the Blue Dragons defeated Northeast 8-0 in five innings in Game 1. Ediger and Rogers combined to twirl a three-hit shutout in a 9-0, five-inning victory in Game 2.

The Blue Dragons (6-0) and Hawks (0-2) will complete their four-game series beginning at 2 p.m. Friday with a doubleheader at Fun Valley. Both games can be viewed on the Blue Dragon Sports Network.

GAME 1 RECAP – Hutchinson 8, Northeast 0, 5 innings
Thomas (2-0) earned her second-straight win to start the season and the 15th pitching victory of her career with her third career shutout and seventh career complete game.

Against Northeast, Thomas struck out five and walked none while allowing only three hits and just three baserunners. Thomas allowed a two-out first inning single and two singles in the fifth inning. Thomas needed only 68 pitches to complete those five innings.

Offensively, the Blue Dragons racked up 10 hits, reaching double figures in hits for the second time this season.

Redshirt freshman first baseman Reese Goetz led Hutchinson at the plate going 3 for 3 with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs. Freshman shortstop went 2 for 3 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI.

Kaibryn Kruger, Addi Lutz, Tailor Golly, Emery Benson-Hladik and Macey Stephenson all had hits. Lutz, Golly and Benson-Hladik all had doubles. Kruger and Lutz also had two RBIs each.

The Dragons took a 1-0 lead in the first when Golly's sacrifice fly to center scored Kruger.

Hutchinson scored three unearned runs in the fourth. Goetz had an RBI double, Kruger a sacrifice fly to center and Lutz doubled in a run to make it 4-0.

The Blue Dragons finished off the game with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Dreher doubled in pinch-runner Desiray Segura. Dreher scored on Goetz's RBI single to make it 6-0. The game ended with a bases-loaded hit by pitch to Kruger and a bases-loaded walk to Lutz.

GAME 2 RECAP – Hutchinson 9, Northeast 0, 5 innings
The Blue Dragons were once again in control in the pitching circle in Game 2.

Ediger (2-0) allowed only two hits with one strikeout in three innings of work. She gave up a double in the second and a single in the third.

Rogers closed out the game with two innings of work. She allowed three walks and one hit, but didn't surrender a run.

The Blue Dragons had nine hits in Game 2. Dreher had a second multi-hit game on Thursday, going 2 for 3 with a triple and two RBIs. Sophomore right-fielder Gabby Stauffer went 2 for 3 with a pair of singles and an RBI.

Lutz, Hadley Topping, Benson-Hladik, Segura and Kaci Young had hits for the Blue Dragons. Segura and Benson-Hladik had doubles in the game.

The Blue Dragons opened the scoring with a four-run first inning. Kruger started the scoring, crossing the plate on a passed ball. The Dragons made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly that scored Lutz. Benson-Hladik had an RBI double and Dreher followed with a run-scoring triple to give the Blue Dragons a 4-0 lead.

Hutchinson plated five runs in the bottom of the fourth. Lutz had an RBI single, followed by a Stauffer RBI single, a Segura RBI double and a Dreher run-scoring single to make it 9-0.