Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Sophomore Ben McLaughlin extended his consecutive-game hitting streak to nine games in dramatic fashion on Friday with a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the Hutchinson Community College baseball team to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Seward County in the opening of a four-game Jayhawk West series at Hobart-Detter Field.

McLaughlin made it 10 games in a row while Bryce Logan and Daniel Beebe drove in three runs each to defeat Seward County 10-8 in Game 2, taking a 2-0 series lead over the Saints.

Games 3 and 4 will be at Brent Gould Field in Liberal at 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The Blue Dragons extended their winning streak to six games and reached a season-high four games over .500. Hutchinson is now 16-12 overall and 6-4 in the Jayhawk West. Seward County is now 11-24 overall and 4-10 in league play.

GAME 1 RECAP
McLaughlin's walk-off base hit in Game 1 capped a two-run rally for the Blue Dragons, who trailed 1-0 and was being no-hit by Seward County pitcher Mason Martinez for six innings.

Ryan Henderson broke up the no-hitter with a leadoff single to start the seventh inning. Pinch-hitter P.J. Loucks and leadoff hitter Bryce Logan walked to load the bases with two outs. The Blue Dragons tied the game when Jack Torosian was hit with a pitch to plate pinch-runner Carter Booe with the tying run.

McLaughlin then completed the comeback by lacing a 1-0 pitch up the middle to score Loucks with the game-winning run and giving the Blue Dragons their first walkoff win of the season.

The Blue Dragons missed a scoring chance in the sixth after loading the bases with a hit batter, error and walk, but the Dragons couldn't scratch across a run. Hutchinson left eight runners on base.

Sophomore Jack Whitlock twirled the first Blue Dragon complete game of the season and improved to 4-1 for the season.

After allowing an unearned run in the first inning, Whitlock tossed six shutout innings with only two Seward County baserunners reaching second base.

Whitlock struck out seven while allowing five hits, only three after the first inning, with two walks. Whitlock issued a one-out walk in the sixth to Jacob Masters, but picked him off of first base.

Seward County's Martinez struck out nine in 6 2-3 innings. He walked three, hit three Blue Dragons and had two wild pitches.

GAME 2 RECAP
The Blue Dragons broke a 5-all tie after seven innings with a five-run eighth and then had to hold off the Saints in a two-run victory in the nightcap on Friday.

Bolstered by two errors on sacrifice bunt attempts that loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the eighth, Beebe scored a pair with a single to left-center that scored Sterling Sutcliffe and Hunter Gotreaux. Logan added a two-run single to plate Loucks and Beebe for a 9-5 lead. Logan then scored on a McLaughlin sacrifice fly to right to complete a five-run eighth inning and take a 10-5 lead to the ninth.

The first five Seward County batters in the ninth reached base and three scored as Reed Scott retired the only three batters he faced to claim his third save of the season and make Kaden Wickersham (2-1) the winning pitcher.

The Dragons led 5-4 after three innings. Trailing 4-3 in the third, the Dragons reclaimed the lead at 5-4 with RBI singles from Gotreaux and Beebe. The Saints tied the game in the fifth with a Masters' solo home run.

Logan had a career-high three points and tied a career high with three RBIs. Logan was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

Beebe tied a career high for hits, going 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs.

Torosian was 2 for 5 with a run scored and a stolen base. Gotreaux went 2 for 3 with three stolen bases. Gotreaux stole all three bases in the same inning, the second inning.

The Dragons out-hit Seward County 14-10.