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By Steve Carpenter
HCC Sports Information Director
Thursday, February 28, 2008
The Hutchinson Community College
softball team finally got some hard-hit balls to fall and a pair of
freshman pitcher came in big in their Blue Dragon debuts on Thursday
as HCC split with Labette on opening day 2008 at Fun Valley.
The Lady Dragons erupted for seven
runs in the fifth and sixth innings of Game 2 to defeat Labette 7-1.
The Cardinals rallied from two runs down in the opener to defeat
Hutchinson 4-3.
“We were happy to be on the field,”
said HCC head coach Jaime Rose, whose team has been outside very
little in the preseason. “This is the first time we’ve been out
here. We’ve been joking that this felt like a road game. This is our
home field and we haven’t even practiced out here.
“I was happy with the way the kids
came out. We hit the ball hard. We had a chance to win the first
game. I was happy how we came back. We kept hitting the ball hard.”
<GAME 1 BOXSCORE>
<GAME 2 BOXSCORE>
<HCC-LABETTE PHOTO GALLERY>
Game 2 recap
In the first four innings of the
second game against Labette, Hutchinson had nine baserunners, but no
runs to show for it. Trailing 1-0 heading into their half of the
fifth inning, the Lady Dragons finally broke through.
Freshman catcher Danielle Smith
scored HCC’s first run on a fielder’s choice by sophomore Jenn Tanno
to tie the game. Three batters later, sophomore Shea Scanlon hit a
perfectly-placed flare to shallow right field for a two-run single,
scoring Tanno and Megan Hudson for a 3-1 Hutchinson lead, with all
three runs coming with two out. HCC also took advantage of two
Labette errors.
HCC broke the game open with a
four-run sixth, again getting some clutch two-out hitting and a few
gifts from the Cardinals.
After doubling with two out, Smith
scored on an error off the bat of sophomore Christina Mueller.
Freshman Kelli Walker then lashed an opposite-field two-run single
through the hole between third and shortstop to score Mueller and
Tanno. Hudson then scored the final run on a passed ball for a 7-1
lead.
“Usually I don’t go opposite field,”
Walker said. “I pull the ball a lot. It felt pretty good to go
opposite field.”
That gave Walker (1-0) plenty of room
to close out the game in the circle for HCC. Walker pitched the
final 2 2-3 innings in relief of starter Courtney Johnson. She got
plenty of defensive help with a pair of huge defensive plays.
After entering the game in the fifth,
Walker gave up a ringing one-hop double to right field by Winfield.
But Hudson in right field delivered a strike to relay Tanno, who
threw home to cut down Jordan Rinck at the plate to end the fifth
inning.
Then with one on and one out in the
sixth, Walker snared a line drive by Jessica Powers and doubled off
Meredith Mayberry to end the sixth inning.
Walker struck out two in 2 2-3
innings and surrendered no runs, two hits and no walks. Johnson, who
got a no decision, struck out six. She gave up three hits, two walks
and one earned run, that being a solo home run to Labette leadoff
hitter Jenna Mann in the third inning.
“That play gave us a little spark,”
Rose said. “Kelli showed a lot of poise coming in with a 2-0 count
and getting the girl out on the first pitch. We have good pitching
performances from both of our freshmen.”
Hutchinson had nine hits against
Labette pitchers Sarah Jenkins (0-2) and Jamie Richardson. Smith
went 2 for 4 with two runs scored. Tanno was also 2 for 4 with two
runs scored. Scanlon and Walker drove in two runs each.
Game 1 recap
The Lady Dragons hit the ball hard
throughout the opener, but couldn’t catch a break.
After Mann homered to lead off the
game, HCC fought back to take a 3-1 lead after four innings.
Sophomore Kourtney Klein’s groundout
to second drove home Smith with the tying run in the third inning.
Then in the fourth, Tanno and Hudson both launched solo home runs to
dead center field in the fourth off Labette pitcher Sarah Riebel to
give HCC a 3-1 lead.
Klein got herself in trouble in the
circle in the fifth inning, though. Klein walked the bases loaded
and looked to be out of the jam, but Meredith Mayberry punched a
shallow single to center to drive in two runs and tie the game.
“C.J. did a great job for us and
Kelli came in and did a great job,” said Klein (0-1). “I personally
could have done better. I need to reduce the number of walks and get
on top of hitters more.”
Mann, who was 2 for 3 with two runs
scored and two RBIs in the opener, drove in the go-ahead run with
tow outs in the sixth inning with a single through the left side to
score pinch runner Brandi Clausen to give Labette a 4-3 lead.
“Kourtney got tired,” Rose said. “She
will be able to go longer as the season goes. They did well for a
season debut.”
HCC had its chances to tie the game
in both the sixth and seventh innings. Riebel stranded the tying run
at third base in the sixth; and then knocked down a bullet sent back
up the middle by Mueller and threw the HCC sophomore out to end the
game.
Klein struck out seven in a
complete-game performance in Game 1. She allowed six hits, four
walks and four earned runs.
HCC outhit Labette 8-6. Designated
player Freshman Ashley Cushinberry went 3 for 4 to lead Hutchinson.
Freshman Jessica Glenn was 2 for 4.
The Lady Dragons will play three
games at the Mid-America Nazarene Classic on Saturday in Olathe. HCC
will play Graceland College in games at 10 a.m. and noon and
Mid-America Nazarene at 2 p.m.
GAME NOTES
– Lady Dragons left 18 runners on base. Last season HCC left 328
runners on base for the season. … Last season HCC and Labette split
the Lady Dragons’ season opener at Fun Valley. … Labette catcher
Leslie Winfield was charged with four passed balls in Game 2. …
Tanno hit her seventh career home run. … Hudson hit her first career
home run.
OTHER QUOTES
Head coach Jaime Rose
On the two-out hits …
“Two-out hits will mean the
difference from a mediocre season and a great season. The more you
get, the better season you have. They kept battling.”
Freshman Kelli Walker
On going into the game in a
pressure situation …
“I felt good going there. The team
backed me up and we made the plays.”
On finally catching some breaks in
Game 2 …
“We were hitting (in the first game),
but we couldn’t hit a gap. We came through in the second game.”
Sophomore Kourtney Klein
On finally getting outside …
“It was pretty nice to finally be
outside. It’s a lot different than the gym and weight room. It felt
good to be out here.”
On battling back to win the second
game …
“We weren’t concerned. We like to
fight back as a team. We weren’t going to give up easily.” |
