DRAGONS SWEEP DODGE TO REACH 1,000 ALL-TIME PROGRAM WINS

Emily Munson tosses five shutout innings of one-hit softball in an 8-0 win in Game 1 on Saturday in Dodge City. The Dragons swept the Conquistadors and earned all-time win No. 1,000. (Andrew Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)
Emily Munson tosses five shutout innings of one-hit softball in an 8-0 win in Game 1 on Saturday in Dodge City. The Dragons swept the Conquistadors and earned all-time win No. 1,000. (Andrew Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

DODGE CITY – The No. 17-ranked Hutchinson Community College softball team swept Dodge City and reached a milestone in program history on Saturday at Legends Park.

Pitchers Emily Munson, Riley Wertz and Morgan Pennycuff combined to allow only three hits as Hutchinson defeated Dodge City 8-0 in six innings and 7-0.

The Blue Dragons improved to 33-6 overall and 21-3 in the Jayhawk Conference. Hutchinson plays host to Northwest Tech at 1 p.m. on Wednesday at Fun Valley. Dodge City is now 17-22 overall and 12-14 in the KJCCC.

Hutchinson reached the 1,000 all-time win plateau in its 38th season. The 33rd win this season moves the 2023 Blue Dragons into 10th place on the all-time program wins list. Head coach Jaime Rose reached the 560-win mark with the Blue Dragons and is two wins shy of reaching 600 for her coaching career.

The Blue Dragons earned a second-straight four-game season sweep of Dodge City and have won 10 consecutive games over the Conquistadors.

Hutchinson's pitching staff tossed its 11th and 12th shutouts of the season and third against Dodge City this season.

GAME 1 RECAP
Munson improved to 6-0 for the season with five shutout innings in the first game on Saturday. The only hit Munson allowed was a single through the right side with two out in the third inning.

Munson struck out four, walked two and also hit a batter.

Wertz struck out three in one inning of work,

Offensively, the Blue Dragons hammered out 14 hits.

Aspen Goetz went 2 for 4 and drove in four runs to lead Hutchinson offensively. Goetz had a two-run single in the first inning and she added her 12th home run of the season in the sixth. Goetz now ranked No. 3 on the Blue Dragon single-season RBI list with 60 and is now sixth on the Hutchinson season home run list.

Freshman JaeLeigh Darnell was 2 for 4 and had an RBI single in the third inning. Alexis Mastin was 2 for 3. Ella Dougherty was 2 for 3 with two runs scored.

Wertz and Korri Lies had back-back RBI doubles in the fifth inning. Madison Grimes had an RBI on a fourth-inning sacrifice fly.

GAME 2 RECAP
Pennycuff twirled her second seven-inning complete game of the season and earned her team-high 12th victory of the season. Pennycuff had her fourth complete game and second complete-game shutout. The sophomore has also been part of three combined shutouts this season.

Pennycuff allowed just three baserunners in her two-hit shutout. The Conquistadors had a walk in eh first innings and singles in both the third and fifth innings. Pennycuff retired the final seven batters she faced in the game.

The Dragons took a 1-0 lead in the first after Dougherty singled, stole second and scored on Olivia Sandoval's RBI single.

The game stayed 1-0 until the seventh inning when Hutchinson exploded for six runs. After pinch-runner Tamara Lozoya scored on an error, Grimes drove in two runs to give Hutch a 4-0 lead. Mastin, Allie Stipsits and Wertz all had RBIs singles as Hutchinson built a 7-0 lead.

Dougherty and Sandoval had three hits each to lead Hutchinson's 12-hit attack. Grimes and Wertz had two hits each.