Hutchinson CC Sports Information
TONKAWA, Okla. – Sophomore Brock Schaffer had a career-high four hits drove in a career-high five runs and the Hutchinson Community College baseball team reached 10 games over .500 for the first time this season after a 21-7 run-rule victory over Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa on Monday.
The Blue Dragons sweep the season series with the Mavericks, outscoring NOC 36-12 in a pair of run-rule victories. Hutchinson defeated NOC 15-5 last Monday at Hobart-Detter Field. The Blue Dragons are now 27-17 overall heading into a key Jayhawk West series with the Pratt Beavers starting on Thursday at Hobart-Detter Field.
Hutchinson reached the 20-run mark for the third time this season with a 16-hit attack that included six doubles and two triples. The Blue Dragons were also a perfect 6 for 6 stealing bases, twice converting double steals for a pair of runs.
Schaffer had a career-high 4 hits in 5 at-bats with a double, triple, three runs scored and a career-best five RBIs. Schaffer had a two-run single in a four-run Blue Dragon second inning. His sacrifice fly in the fourth reclaimed the lead for Hutchinson as Julian Rip scored to make it 6-5. Schaffer added an RBI double in the seven and an RBI single in an eight-run eighth inning.
Garrett Stephens went 3 for 4 with two doubles, three RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Wyatt Divis, Dylan Nedved and Rip had two hits each. Rip was 2 for 3 with a double, triple a career-high four runs scored and two RBIs. He was on base four times with a pair of walks.
Bobby Morgensen had just one hit, a three-run double in the eighth inning.
Zach Moore pitched 1 2-3 innings to earn the victory and improve to 1-2 for the season. He allowed two hits, including the go-ahead run for the Mavericks in a 5-run second inning. Gage Wall, Dayden Lane and Riley Metzger all worked scoreless innings in relief. Matt Hopkins pitched two scoreless innings.
Hutchinson led 4-0 after 1 1/2 innings, but the Mavericks touched Blue Dragon reliever Ryan Junker for five runs in the second inning. Trailing 5-4 entering the fourth, Rip's RBI triple scored Zach Baxley with the tying run, and then he scored the go-ahead run on Schaffer's sac fly.
The Dragons took a 9-7 lead into the sixth when they exploded for 12 unanswered runs over the final three innings.
Hutchinson sent 15 batters to the plate in the eighth, but only two of the eight runs allowed were earned. It was Hutchinson's fourth inning this season and the eighth running of seven or more runs.