Hutch takes opener from Garden City

By Mike Pilosof

Photo by Adam Shrimplin

Garden City, KS-Just like the Colby series 24 hours earlier, one inning buried the Broncbusters on Thursday.

Caitlin Schumacher drove in four runs, Hutchinson plated nine in the fourth, and the Blue Dragons run ruled Garden City 15-6 at Tangeman Sports Complex.

Things started off well for Garden City. Carley Powley stroked an RBI single in the first, and Elisabeth McGill, Vivian Lopez, and Megan Walz connected on run-scoring base hits in the second to put Garden City up 5-2.

But the Blue Dragons stormed back in the third. Kylee Dunn walked with the bases loaded, Natalie Bevan added an RBI fielder's choice, and Schumacher chipped in an RBI groundout to tie the game at 5.

After the Broncbusters went back on top when McKayla Encinias drew a bases-loaded free pass in the third, Hutchinson went to work in the fourth-sending 13 girls to the plate and scoring nine runs, punctuated by Taylor Ullery's two-run shot that had the Blue Dragons up 14-6. Schumacher added an RBI base hit in the fifth.

Walz was shaky in five innings, allowing 11 runs on 10 hits. She walked four while tossing 117 pitches. Madison Biller did not record an out, surrendering four runs on two hits. The Broncbusters committed five more errors.

Jessika Gomez picked up the win in relief for Hutchinson, allowing just one hit in two innings. She struck out three.