Hutchinson CC Sports Information
CHANUTE – Alexis Mastin hit a combined three home runs and Olivia Sandoval extended her hitting streak to 20 games as the No. 17-ranked Hutchinson Community College softball team earned a doubleheader sweep of the Neosho County Panthers on Friday.
The Blue Dragons hammered out 19 hits in a 13-3 Game 1 victory over the Panthers. The Dragons had 12 hits in a 9-4 victory in Game 2.
Hutchinson improved to 4-0. The Blue Dragons complete the weekend road trip with a doubleheader on Saturday against NEO in Miami, Oklahoma.
Mastin was a combined 3 for 7 with seven RBIs to lead the Blue Dragons. She hit two home runs had five RBIs – both single-game career highs – in Game 1. The sophomore catcher was 1 for 2 with a homer, two RBIs and two walks in the second game.
Sandoval had a first-inning double in Game 1 and first-inning single to extend her hitting streak to 20 games, which tied Kelcee Thompson for the second-longest hitting streak in Blue Dragon history. The first 16 games of Sandoval's streak came last season and she's hit safely in all four games this season. Sandoval was a combined 4 for 9 on Friday.
GAME 1 RECAP – Hutchinson 13, Neosho County 3
In addition to Mastin's huge opening game on Friday, three other Blue Dragons had single-game career highs in the first game against Neosho County.
Annie Kealey tied a career high with three hits, going 3 for 5 with two RBIs. Sophomore Jaeleigh Darnell had a career-high three hits, which included a two-run double in the first inning in the first game. Second baseman Madi Divis was 3 for 4 for a career high.
Korri Lies, Tamara Lozoya, Sandoval and Mastin had two hits each. Lozoya and a double and two RBIs.
The Blue Dragons scored two runs in the first inning when Darnell had a two-out, two-run double. The Dragons exploded for six runs in the second. Lozoya, Bailey Backhaus and Kealey had RBI singles and Mastin added a three-run opposite-field home run to right center.
Lozoya had an RBI single in the fifth to go up 9-2. Sandoval had an RBI double, Kealey an RBI single and Mastin hit a two-run home run in a four-run seventh inning.
Delaney Blakesley (1-0) earned the pitching victory for the Blue Dragons. She pitched four innings and allowed four hits and two earned runs with two strikeouts and a walk. Dakota Lake earned a three-inning save with three strikeouts. She allowed two hits and an earned run.
GAME 2 RECAP – Hutchinson 9, Neosho County 4
Four different Blue Dragons had two RBIs each to lead Hutchinson offensively.
Mastin hit a two-run home run in the top off the first, but Neosho County countered with a two-run Addy Easter home run in the bottom of the first to tie the game.
The Dragons took a 3-2 lead when Darnell's sacrifice fly scored Bailey Backhaus in the top of the third. Hutchinson upped the lead to 5-2 in the fifth with a Darnell RBI double and Brooke Backhaus sacrifice fly.
Leading 5-4, the Dragons scored four runs in the seventh. Brooke Backhaus had an RBI double; Bailey Backhaus had an RBI single and Sandoval ripped a two-run single for a 9-4 lead.
Bailey Backhaus, Sandoval, Kealey and Darnell had two hits each to lead the Blue Dragons.
Morgan Tomlinson worked four innings in relief to earn her first victory as a Blue Dragon. She allowed two hits, both solo home runs, and struck out three. Lake pitched a 1-2-3 seventh with two strikeouts to close the game out.