Hutchinson CC Sports Information

DODGE CITY – The No. 15-ranked Hutchinson Community College softball team won its second-straight Region VI Tournament elimination game on Saturday, holding off the Colby Trojans 3-2.

The Blue Dragons (41-7) will now play Seward County at 10 a.m. on Sunday in the Loser's bracket final for the opportunity to advance to the championship game and face No. 6 Butler at Noon. The Hutchinson-Seward County winner would have to defeat Butler twice to claim a Region VI championship.

Playing its third game of the day after Seward County knocked the Dragons out of the winners' bracket earlier Saturday, the Dragons scored three run in the first inning, but couldn't come up with a clutch hit after the opening frame.

Madison Grimes had a two-run double to score Ella Dougherty and Haley Miller. Grimes then scored to make it 3-0 on a Carley Sterneker groundout.

From that point, the Dragons left seven runners on base and were 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

Sophomore Kiersten Weitze made her first start in the pitching circle in the regional tournament and pitched 5-plus strong innings to improve her record to 9-1 for the season. Weitze allowed four hits, two runs, only one earned run with five strikeouts and one walk.

Riley Wertz earned her national-leading ninth save with two spotless innings.

Colby scored an unearned run in the fourth and then Wertz got out of bases-loaded, no-out jam in the sixth when she coaxed a double play and strikeout to end the threat with the Dragons leading 3-2.

Hutchinson had a tournament-low four hits, only one after the second inning, a Sterneker double with two out in the sixth. Haley Miller, Grimes and Wertz had the other Blue Dragon hits.

This is the second-straight season the Blue Dragons reach the final three teams remaining in the Region VI Tournament. The Dragons are bidding for their first regional final since 2018.