Hutchinson CC Sports Information

DODGE CITY – For the second time this season, the No. 15-ranked Hutchinson Community College softball team needed extra innings to defeat the Garden City Broncbusters.

Saturday's 4-3 victory in eight innings at Legends Park kept the season alive for the second-seeded Blue Dragons in their first Region VI Tournament elimination test, which came immediately after falling to the loser's bracket following a 4-2 loss to Seward County.

The Blue Dragons (40-7) reached the 40-win mark for just the third time in program history and tied the 2008 Blue Dragons for the second-most wins in team history. This is the second time in the Jaime Rose era the Dragons have won at least 40 games in a season. The Blue Dragons advanced to a second-round elimination game later on Saturday.

The Blue Dragons scored three runs in the top of the first inning and saw Garden City scratch three single runs in the third fifth and sixth innings to tie the game.

The eventually game-winning rally started with a walk to Riley Wertz. She went to third base on an Allie Stipsits base hit to right field and then scored on an errant throw trying to get Wertz at third base.

The Dragons had a good offensive start with RBI singles from Natalie Bevan, Wertz and Aspen Goetz to build a 3-0 lead. Garden City starter Lacey Kearsley – who is 0-3 with two losses in extra innings this season vs. Hutchinson – held the Dragons to just four hits over the next six innings.

Wertz improved her pitching record to 13-1 with four innings of relief work. She didn't allow a hit, but did give up a run with three walks and three strikeouts. Sadie Loney started and worked 2 1-3 innings with two hits and a run allowed.

Offensively, the Blue Dragons out-hit Garden City 9-3.

Madison Grimes led the Dragons going 2 for 4. Stipsits was 2 for 3 and had the Dragons' only extra base-hit of the game, a sixth-inning double. The Blue Dragons left eight runners on base. Garden City stranded nine runners on base.