SALINA, Kan. — The Hutchinson Salthawk baseball team saw its six-game winning streak come to an end, but were able to salvage a split against Salina Central on Tuesday at Dean Evans Stadium.
The Salthawks lost game one 5-4, before bouncing back for a 5-1 win in game two.
Hutchinson is now 11-8 on the season and will travel to El Dorado on Thursday for a single game, beginning at 4 p.m. at McDonald Stadium.
Game 1: Salina Central 5, Hutchinson 4
The Salthawks scored two in the top of the seventh inning to keep the game alive, but in the end, the Mustangs secured the walk-off win on an RBI single to centerfield.
The loss ended the six-game winning streak for the Salthawks.
Hutchinson out-hit the Mustangs, nine to eight in the loss, including two-hit games from Caiden Beavers, Cole Bleything, Landon Parks and Jack Yoder.
The Salthawks took the 1-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI groundout from Beavers. Salina Central tied the game up with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning.
The Mustangs plated three runs in the fourth inning on three hits and a Salthawk error, to lead 4-1 through four complete.
Hutchinson scored one more in the fifth to pull within 4-2 on an RBI single from Parks.
The Salthawks scored two in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game on four straight batters reaching safely, but were unable to grab the lead, stranding two baserunners.
After a strikeout from Beavers led off the bottom of the seventh, the next four Mustangs reached base safely to walk-off game one.
Beavers suffered the loss on the mound, going 2 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and one run.
Jack Gordon for Salina Central was credited with the blown save and the win, after blowing the two-run lead, but also becoming the final Mustang pitcher used in the win.
Hutchinson - 001 010 2 - 4 9 2
Salina Central - 001 300 1 - 5 8 2
W: Gordon. L: Beavers. Time: 1:55.
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Game 2: Hutchinson 5, Salina Central 1
Eastyn Keeler pitched a complete-game one-hit gem for the Salthawks, striking out four Mustang hitters. Keeler retired 13 consecutive Mustangs from the third inning until two outs in the seventh.
Morgan led off the game with a triple to centerfield, followed up by a strikeout and then an RBI single to left for Bleything to put the Salthawks on the board first.
Salina Central added their lone run in the third on an RBI groundout.
Hutchinson scored two more in the fifth inning, as Morgan broke the tie with a sacrifice fly to score Jack Davis and then an RBI single from Bleything made it 3-1.
The Salthawks tacked on their final runs of the game in the top of the seventh. Hutchinson had three straight base hits and four out of the final five batters. Parks and Mikah Giles each drove in a run.
Hutchinson - 100 020 2 - 5 9 1
Salina Central - 001 000 0 - 1 1 1
W: Keeler. L: Rodriguez. Time: 1:42.