Hutchinson CC Sports Information

PITTSBURG – Freshman Zane Schmidt hit two home runs and the pitching staff surrendered only nine hits in 14 total innings on Tuesday as the No. 20-ranked Hutchinson Community College baseball team picked up a pair of neutral site wins over the Labette Cardinals at Pittsburg State's Ortolani Field.

Hutchinson pounded out 14 points, seven for extra bases, in an 18-2 five-inning run-rule victory in Game 1. The Blue Dragons then downed Labette 7-1 in the second game to earn their fourth consecutive victory.

The Dragons improve to 9-3 overall with an uncertain few weeks coming up schedule-wise. Hutchinson had its Jayhawk West-opening series against Cloud County moved by the conference because of weather to the first weekend in May. The Dragons still have two games to pick up from earlier cancelations. The next scheduled game is March 7 at Butler.

Schmidt's first home run of the day was a solo shot to right field to lead off the third inning of Game 1. His second of the day came in Game 2 and it was an inside-the-park homer to center field. For the day, Schmidt had three hits, including a double. He drove in three runs and he has three homers for the season, all coming in the last three games.

Game 1 pitchers Ryan Summers and Cade Fenton got plenty of run support. Summers moved to 2-0 for the season, striking out eight over four innings. Fenton struck out the side in his only inning of work. They combined to allow two runs and only five hits.

Freshman pitcher Dawson Linder earned his first career victory with four strong innings. The only hit he allowed as a solo home run to left field in the third inning. Linder struck out five. Zach Philbin fanned two in 1 1-3 innings. Zach Firmature had a strikeout in 2-3 inning. Dylan Nedved struck out two in one inning of work. That group of pitchers allowed only four hits.

GAME 1 RECAP
How did the day start for the Blue Dragons?

The first seven batters all reached base before an out was recorded and all seven scored as part of a nine-run first inning. Labette needed three pitchers to get out of the first inning.

Fourteen Blue Dragons came to the plate in that first inning. Hutch had five hits in the inning – run-producing hits by Logan Sartori, who had an RBI double, a two-run single by Riley Metzger and an RBI single from Max McGuire.

The final five runs came via three bases-loaded walks, a bases-loaded hit by pitch and a Metzger sacrifice fly.

Hutchinson added one run in the second, five more runs in the third and three in the fourth in a 14-hit attack.

Christopher Noble went 3 for 5 with a double to lead Hutchinson. Sartori was 2 for 3 with two doubles, two runs and two RBIs. Metzger drove in four runs and scored a pair while going 2 for 2. Baxley and McGuire both had two hits and two RBIs. Ryan Moritz also drove in a pair of runs.

Hutchinson's offense was greatly bolstered by eight Labette walks, two hit-batsmen and three wild pitches.

Summers allowed just two hits and one earned run in his second victory of the season.

GAME 2 RECAP
The Dragons gave Linder early run support on a leadoff home run by Dylan Nedved and a bases-loaded walk to Conor Craig for a 2-0 lead.

Linder had to do the rest over his four innings of work. After a leadoff walk to start the game, Linder immediately coaxed a 6-4-3 double play. After giving up a solo home run to Landon Lord in the third, Linder didn't get shaken up. He struck out the next Labette batter and then got an easy groundout to end the inning.

Linder allowed just the one hit and one run while striking out five and walking two.

Leading 2-1 after three innings, Schmidt started a huge two-out rally in the fourth. After Schmidt's inside-the-park homer, Sartori kept the inning alive by reaching base after the catcher missed the ball on strike three. Seven-straight Blue Dragons reached after the homer and five scored, four runs were unearned.

Nedved led the Blue Dragons going 3 for 5 with a double and home run. Nedved is now at 99 career hits as a Blue Dragon. Schmidt was 2 for 5. Zach Baxley also went 2 for 4.

The Dragons were limited to seven hits in the second game.