Blue Dragons top MCC baseball in Hays, 20-10

HAYS, Kan. – The Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragons scored eight runs in the third inning and six in the fifth inning on the way to a 20-10 win over the McCook Community College baseball team Tuesday. The game was called after seven innings on the 10-run rule.

The two teams met in Hays, Kan. to play at Larks Park.

“We went up against a pretty good team today, but we didn’t do ourselves any favors with the free passes,” said MCC Coach Jon Olsen. “When we were putting extra guys on base, they swung the bat it made it tough.”

MCC pitchers walked eight hitters, hit three more and the Indians committed three errors in the game.

After Hutchinson scored a run in the first, MCC tied the game in the second on a leadoff double by sophomore Jason Serafinchon (Spruce Grove, Alberta) and a two-out RBI triple by sophomore Jake Quinlivan (Sydney, Australia).

HCC scored a run in the second to lead 2-1. Aiden Johnson (sophomore, Westminster, Colo.) pitched the first two innings for MCC allowing five hits and two earned runs. He struck out four.

Sophomore Dylan Huddle (Arvada, Colo.) took over in the third and was unable to make it through the inning, surrendering five hits and three walks as Hutchinson CC led 10-1.

Leif Friedrich (freshman Surrey, British Columbia) pitched 1.1 innings of relief and allowed two earned runs on two hits, two walks and a strikeout. Hutchinson scored three runs in the fourth.

The Indians got a three-run home run by sophomore Blake Dale (Riverton, Wyo.) in the fifth to make it a 13-4 game, but the Blue Dragons didn’t let up, scoring six times in the fifth inning off freshman A.J. Matta (Arvada, Colo.), who surrendered five hits, walked two and struck out two in the fifth inning.

“We mixed in some good at bats and swings but we just let it get away from us giving up the big inning in the third,” said Olsen.

Trailing 19-6 in the sixth inning, MCC got an RBI-single from Quinlivan and an RBI-triple by Dale.

Sophomore Jackson Finder (Lincoln Pius HS) hit a couple Blue Dragons in the sixth and issued a walk but wiggled out of a bases-loaded one-out game with back-to-back popouts.

MCC mounted a two-out rally in the seventh and scored a run on an RBI-single by freshman Owen Glover (Elderslice, New South Wales), an RBI-single from sophomore Will Edwards (Sydney, Australia) and a two-run double from sophomore Jackson Yeager (Omaha Westside).

Hutchinson ended the game on the 10-run rule in the bottom of the seventh scoring on a two-out error. Finder pitched thew final 1.2 innings allowing one unearned run on two hits, a walk and a strikeout.

MCC had 11 hits in the game led by three from Quinlivan and two each by Yeager and Dale

Blue Dragons improve to 18-8

MCC falls to 5-12.

The Indians added a game to the schedule for Wednesday, when the team goes to Salina, Kan. to take on the Kansas Wesleyan JV team at approximately 5:30 p.m.

MCC is scheduled to play a four-game set with Lamar Community College this weekend at home to start the Empire League schedule. The Runnin’ Lopes are 10-16.

Doubleheaders are set to start Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. This year all doubleheaders between Region IX teams will start with a seven- inning game, followed by a nine-inning game. If the first game goes beyond seven innings, the second game becomes a seven-inning game.

All the latest information for MCC baseball including up-to-date schedule and changes as well as statistics, rosters and photos can be found on the MCC Athletics website, www.mccindians.com