Hutchinson CC Sports Information
OXFORD, Alabama – Two of the top pitchers in the nation locked up in an old-fashioned pitcher's duel Tuesday in the second round of the NJCAA Division I Softball World Series.
Hutchinson Community College pitcher of the year Dakota Lake, the Jayhawk Conference Pitcher of the Year, went toe-to-toe with No. 2 Indian River State's J'daj Girigorie at Choccolocco Park and pitched one of her best games of the season.
Indian River State scratched out two runs in the first inning and the Pioneers made it stand up as the No. 15-seeded Blue Dragons fell to the losers' bracket after a 2-0 loss.
The Dragons (47-11) played Lake Land College later Tuesday in an elimination game.
Lake (12-4) struck out nine and gave up only four hits to the Pioneers (52-9), just two from the third inning on.
Indian River State took advantage of two first-inning walks, though, getting a two-out, two-run double from Maddox Thomas to take a 2-0 lead over the Blue Dragons.
Lake then raised her level and kept the Pioneers' potent offense in check.
After a leadoff IRSC single and sacrifice bunt in the second, Lake ended the inning with a pair of strikeouts. After a 1-2-3 third, Lake allowed a leadoff double in the fourth, but two strikeouts and a groundout to second baseman Tamara Lozoya ended that threat. Then in the sixth, Lake struck out the first two batters she faced and allowed a two-out single. The inning quickly ended when catcher Madi Divis threw out Ciara Gendron trying to steal second base to end the inning.
Girigorie simply didn't let the Blue Dragons offense get rolling. The Dragons struck out a season-high 15 times against Girigorie (33-6). She didn't walk a batter.
Brooke Backhaus' single to center to lead off the third inning was the Dragons' first hit of the game. Divis and Lozoya had the other Dragons hits.
Hutchinson mounted a threat in the seventh as both Divis and Korri Lies reached base on a pair of Pioneer errors. Pinch runner Emily Dice and Lies made it even more interesting with a delayed double steak of second and third, but Girigorie's 15th strikeout of the game ended the threat.
POSTGAME NOTES:
+ Dakota Lake now has 213 strikeouts for the season.
+ Hutchinson's three hits tied the second-fewest by the Blue Dragons this season.
+ Lake has nine games of nine or more strikeouts this season.