Hutchinson CC Sports Information

DODGE CITY – The No. 14-ranked Hutchinson Community College softball team was limited to five hits as No. 15 Butler defeated the Blue Dragons 10-2 in the Region VI Tournament winner's bracket final on Saturday at Legends Park.

Hutchinson (43-7) had its 14-game winning streak snapped and dropped into the losers' bracket. The Blue Dragons will play Colby at 10 a.m. on Sunday in the losers' bracket final. A victory in that game puts Hutchinson in the Region VI championship game, which would be at noon.

Trailing 4-0, the Blue Dragons got their only offense of the game in the third inning. Ella Dougherty's sacrifice fly scored Jaeleigh Darnell and an infield single by Madison Grimes scored Riley Wertz to cut the Dragon deficit to 4-2.

The Dragons had just two baserunners over the final four innings.

Wertz went 2 for 3 to lead the Dragons with a double in the third inning. Darnell, Olivia Sandoval and Grimes had the other hits.

Butler had 15 total hits and took advantage of three Hutchinson fielding errors.

Emily Munson (7-1) suffered her first loss of the season. She allowed five hits and three runs in 1 1-3 inning. Wertz went 4 2-3 innings and gave up nine hits and four earned runs. Kierstan Weitze had a strikeout and one hit in one inning of work.