NEWTON, Kan. — Hutchinson put together one of its best games of the season in Tuesday’s opener before Newton answered with a big inning in Game 2, as the Salthawks split a doubleheader at Klein-Scott Field.
Hutchinson won the opener 10-0 in five innings before Newton rallied for a 12-5 win in the second game.
The Salthawks are now 4-20. Newton moved to 5-18.
Hutchinson controlled the opener from the start, scoring two runs in the first inning, one in the second and seven in the fourth.
Brodie McCuan turned in a complete-game shutout for the Salthawks. He allowed two hits and one walk while striking out six over five innings.
Hutchinson finished with 11 hits in the win. JuJu Lyons, Landon Haugsness, Payne Young, Gabe Valadez and Oak Williams each had two hits. Lyons and Young each drove in two runs.
McCuan walked to start the game and later scored on Merrick Brotzman’s RBI single. Young added an RBI single later in the inning to give Hutchinson a 2-0 lead.
Williams singled and scored in the second on Lyons’ RBI single to make it 3-0.
Hutchinson broke the game open in the fourth. Valadez singled and scored on Williams’ RBI single, Kam Wilson stole home, Lyons added another RBI single, Young drove in a run and Valadez capped the inning with an RBI single.
Newton had just two hits in the opener, one from Caden Unruh and one from Davin Treffer.
In Game 2, Hutchinson again scored first, but Newton answered with one run in the first, two in the third and nine in the sixth.
Hutchinson trailed 3-1 entering the sixth before scoring four runs to take a 5-3 lead. Eli Atha, Young and Valadez opened the inning with consecutive singles. Williams brought in Atha with a sacrifice fly, McCuan reached on a dropped third strike that allowed Young to score, Lyons followed with an RBI single and McCuan later scored to give the Salthawks the lead.
Newton responded with a nine-run bottom of the sixth. The Railers used five walks, four hits and two Hutchinson errors in the inning to regain control.
Trevor Beyer led Newton in Game 2, going 2 for 3 with two doubles, three runs and an RBI. Unruh went 2 for 2 with two runs and two RBIs. Rhett Stucky drove in two runs, and Murphy Myers also had two RBIs.
McCuan led Hutchinson in the second game, going 2 for 4 with two runs and an RBI. Lyons, Atha, Young, Valadez, GeVaugn Embers and Williams each added a hit.
Cody Jay earned the win for Newton, allowing five runs, four earned, on eight hits with one walk and four strikeouts in seven innings.
Lyons took the loss for Hutchinson. He struck out eight over 5 2/3 innings.
Hutchinson will close the regular season Friday at Maize.