Hovpensports.com - DC 9 gets split

March 4, 2013

Steve Carpenter, HCC-SID
Special to Hovpensports.com

FINALLY BACK ON THE FIELD, DRAGONS SPLIT WITH DODGE CITY

EDMOND, Okla. - Not having played since Opening Day on Feb. 16, this wasn't the ideal situation for first-year Hutchinson Community College baseball coach Ryan Schmidt to open his first conference season as the Blue Dragon skipper.

The Blue Dragons and Dodge City both jumped on busses Sunday morning and headed south to dry ground at Deer Creek High School in Edmond, Okla. That was where HCC played for the first time in 15 days and opened the 2013 Jayhawk West season.

After dropping the opener 6-4, the Blue Dragons used a five-run third inning highlighted by Justin Harris' three-run triple to earn a split with the Conquistadors, winning the nightcap 9-1.

Hutchinson (2-2) and Dodge City will complete the season-opening four-game league series at Noon on Monday at Oklahoma City University.

GAME 2 RECAP - Hutchinson 9, Dodge City 1

After only five hits in the first game, HCC had just one hit through the first two innings of Game 2.

Things started to pick up after Dakota Shadoan hit his second home run of the day, a solo blast to lead off the third inning to give HCC a 1-0 lead. That sparked a five-run inning that was capped by Harris' bases-loaded triple that plated Brooks DeBord, Matt Sutcliffe and Gabe Wurth for a 5-0 Blue Dragon lead.

That was plenty of run support for four Blue Dragon pitchers in an eight-run victory that helped HCC split the first two games of the series.

The Blue Dragons had seven hits by seven different players in the nightcap. B.B. Kimbrel and Jacob Eck had doubles to go with Harris' triple and Shadoan's home run to lead the Blue Dragons. Harris had three RBIs, while Kimbrel drove in two.

Austin Harms worked the first 4 1-3 innings on the mound for the Blue Dragons, but was replaced by Garrett Woods with one out in the fifth inning. Harms allowed six hits, one earned run and struck out three. Woods received the win, working 2 2-3 innings of near perfect relief. He struck out one and walked one. Tyler Price worked the eighth and Zach Eden mopped up in the ninth. Eden struck out the side.

The Blue Dragons added a run in the fourth inning when Quintin Crandall walked, stole second and scored on Kimbrel's double.

HCC added three more in the bottom of the eighth when Wurth tripled to lead off the inning and later scored on a wild pitch. Harris was hit by a pitch, stole both second and third and scored on Kimbrel's sacrifice fly and Shadoan scored on Josh Kunzman's RBI single.

GAME 2 - HUTCHINSON 9, DODGE CITY 1

Dodge City 000 100 000 - 1 8 0

Hutchinson 005 100 03x - 9 7 1

DC: Bedwell, Brewster (3), Gadberry (8) and Koepp. HCC: Harms, Woods (4), Price (8), Egan (9) and Shadoan. WP - Woods; LP - Bedwell. 2B - DC: Jones; HCC: Kimbrel, Ek; 3B - DC: Houska; HCC: Harris, Wurth; HR - Shadoan.

GAME 1 RECAP - Dodge City 6, Hutchinson 4

Trailing 4-3 heading into the seventh inning, a controversial call went against the Blue Dragons. Dodge City's Jarren Donato hit a fly ball that HCC rightfielder DeBord dove and claimed he caught the ball, which would have been the second out. The umpire said DeBord trapped it. Dodge City's Scott Hillier then grounded back to the pitcher, which would have been the third out.

Instead, Shay Lynes hit a two-run homer to left field off HCC left-hander Cameron Solko for a 6-3 Conquistador lead. Kimbrel hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning that would have been the game-tying run had the call in the top of the seventh gone Hutchinson's way.

Dodge City out-hit Hutchinson 10-5 in the opening. The Conquistadors scored two runs in each of the first two innings of starter and losing pitcher Logan Landon. Solko threw five strong innings out of the bullpen. Solko allowed five hits and two earned runs while striking out four and walking only one.

After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the first inning, Shadoan's three-run home run in the bottom of the frame gave Hutchinson a short-lived 3-2 lead.

Harris, Crandall, Shadoan, Kimbrel and Chris Pinne had the only hits off Dodge City starter Ross Vance, who struck out four in a complete-game performance.

GAME 1 - DODGE CITY 6, HUTCHINSON 4

Dodge City 220 000 2 - 6 10 0

Hutchinson 300 000 1 - 4 5 2

DC: Vance and Lacayo; HCC: Landon, Solko (3) and Kimbrel. WP - Vance; LP - Landon. 2B - DC: Lacayo (2), Ross. HR - DC: Lynes; HR - HCC: Shadoan, Kimbrel

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