GRIMES, MUNSON LEAD DRAGONS IN REGION VI OPENER

Emily Munson fires a complete-game victory as the No. 15-ranked Blue Dragon softball team defeats Dodge City 9-1 in five innings on Friday in the opening round of the Region VI Tournament in Dodge City. (Andrew Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)
Emily Munson fires a complete-game victory as the No. 15-ranked Blue Dragon softball team defeats Dodge City 9-1 in five innings on Friday in the opening round of the Region VI Tournament in Dodge City. (Andrew Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

BLUE DRAGON SOFTBALL

Region VI Tournament vs. Seward County

Round: Winner's Bracket Semifinal
When
: Saturday, May 7, 2022
Where: Legends Park, Dodge City, KS
Time: Noon
Video: KJCCC Sports Network, Noon
CLICK FOR COMPLETE REGION VI TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

DODGE CITY – Sophomore Madison Grimes drove in four runs and freshman Emily Munson tossed her second complete game against Dodge City this season as the No. 15-ranked Hutchinson Community College softball team cruised in the opening-round of the Region VI Tournament on Friday at Legends Park.

Trailing by a run early, the second-seeded Blue Dragons scored nine unanswered runs and rolled to a 9-1 rule-rule victory over the seventh-seeded Conquistadors in five innings, Hutchinson's 13th consecutive win.

The Blue Dragons (39-6) advance to the winner's bracket semifinal at Noon on Saturday against sixth-seeded Seward County. The Saints upset No. 3 Colby 4-3 on Friday.

Grimes went 3 for 5 with RBIs to lead the Blue Dragons, who out-hit Dodge City 11-2 on Friday. Grimes had an RBI single, stolen base and run scored in Hutchinson's six-run second inning. She hit a two-run home run to give the Dragons an 8-1 lead in the fourth and then singled home the run-rule run, plating Ella Dougherty with a two-out base hit in the fifth.

Munson moved to 10-0 in the pitching circle for the season. The freshman left-hander had just two strikeouts, but had nine groundball outs in her fourth complete game of the season, the second against Dodge City.

Munson allowed a first-inning leadoff single, but stranded Melanie Castro at third. Stephanie Torres led off the second with a triple to right field. Torres scored on a Hadlee Richardson RBI groundout. That started a run of 12 consecutive Conquistadors retired by Munson.

After falling behind 1-0 in the second, the Blue Dragons immediately answered. Easton Swanson ripped a two-out double to left to give the Dragons a 2-1 lead. Dougherty doubled in Swanson for a 3-1 lead. Grimes followed with an RBI single and Natalie Bevan drove in two runs with a base hit to cap a six-run second inning and a 6-1 Dragon lead.

Riley Wertz had the only other multi-hit game for the Blue Dragons, going 2 for3 with a run scored. Eight of 9 Blue Dragon starters had at least one hit.