Hutchinson CC Sports Information
Will Reetz and the Hutchinson Community College baseball team had a flare for the dramatic on Sunday.
Reetz hit an extra-inning three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning in Game 1 at Hobart-Detter Field to give the Blue Dragons a 6-3 victory.
Then with the Blue Dragons clinging to a one-run lead in the top of the seventh of the series finale, Reetz caught a fly ball and threw out the potential game-tying run at the plate for a game-ending double play in a 2-1 Hutchinson victory.
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The Blue Dragons win their third Jayhawk West series 3-1 over Pratt. The Dragons are now 3-0-2 in conference series this season. Hutchinson is now 27-15 overall and 13-7 in the Jayhawk West. Pratt falls to 18-24 and 5-19.
Tied at 3-all through seven innings in Game 1, pinch hitter Christophe Noble walked with one out and was pinch-ran for by Ethan White. Two batters later, Jeremiah Ceasar worked a two-out walk. Going through a 1 for 10 slump, Reetz launched a 2-1 pitch over the scoreboard in left-center field for a walk-off, three-run home run – Reetz's second of the series and ninth of the season.
With the Dragons looking for the series victory in the final game of the series, Hutch led 2-1 entering the seventh inning. The top of the seventh had an ominous start with a walk and hit batsman. Pinch-hitter Brody Hanna had a sacrifice bunt and Raymond Urrutia walked to load the bases with one out.
Brenden Tauber then hit a 1-0 pitch to medium-depth right field. Reetz came up to make the catch and then threw a one-hop strike to catcher Zach Baxley, who tagged out Sean Johnson at the plate for the final out of the game, Hutchinson's third double play of the game.
GAME 1 RECAP
Pratt scored two runs in its first at-bat. The Dragons got one run back when Reetz scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first. Hutchinson then took a 3-2 lead in the fourth with sacrifice flies from Baxley and Ryan Moritz. Pratt tied the game in the sixth on a Khalir RBI double to know the game at 3.
Before Reetz's eighth-inning walk-off, the Blue Dragons had to work through a jam in the top of the eighth.
Zach Firmature got the first two batters out, but gave up a walk and wild pitch and an error kept the inning alive. Firmature (1-1), who earned his first victory as a Blue Dragon, got Treven Veltman to pop out and end the inning.
The Blue Dragons out-hit Pratt 9-8.
Logan Sartori went 2 for 4 with a double. Nedved also went 2 for 4 with a double and run scored.
Nedved got a no decision in seven innings for work. Nedved struck out a career-high 10 wand walked none. He gave up eight hits and three runs. Firmature had a walk and strikeout in earning the victory.
GAME 2 RECAP
The only runs of the game for the Blue Dragons came on a two-run Noble home run in the bottom of the fifth that gave Hutchinson a 2-1 lead. Pratt's lone run came in the top of the first.
Mike Brown improved to 4-0 for the season with six strong innings. He allowed a season-low three hits and one run with two strikeouts and four walks.
Brown got double plays in the first and fourth innings. Brown left the game after walking Johnson to lead off the seventh. Firmature earned his third save of the season on the game-ending double play.
The Blue Dragons had just six hits off Pratt starter Ky Hampton.
Baxley extended his hit streak to six game with a 2 for 4 performance. Nedved moved his hit streak to 10 games with a sixth-inning single in going 1 for 3. Noble's home run, his second of the season, and Zane Schmidt had the only other hits in Game 2.
Hutch had a chance to break the game open after Noble's home run. But the Dragons left the bases loaded in both the fifth and sixth innings.