HUTCHINSON, Kan. - The Hutchinson Monarchs (23-4) and Cheney Diamond Dawgs were locked up in a pitchers dual between Cheney's Braden Pierce and the Monarchs Jake Hamilton through four and half innings of play when the Monarchs took advantage of a Cheney error to take the lead 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth. That lead was short lived as Cheney's outfielder Corrigan Bartlett homered with a runner on to give the league leading Diamond Dawgs a 2-1 lead through the sixth.
Then came the Monarchs magical 7th inning. Clayton Chadwick lasered a 3-2 pitch over the right field fence and perhaps Carey Park's Salt City Splash to tie the game at 2-2. After Luke Sartori flew out to left for the 1st out of the inning, it was Taylor Barber's turn as the former Blue Dragon smashed a 2-0 pitch to left that set of lightning bolts north of Hutchinson and gave the Monarchs the lead 3-2.
Two more Monarch runs were added on a fielders choice and a Tanner Schragg walk with the bases loaded before Chadwick grounded out to end the big inning with the Monarchs leading 5-2.
Aaron Haase came on in relief for Hutchinson to pitch 2 innings giving up no runs on no hits while striking out 4 Cheney batters to earn the win. Haase is 2-0 on the season. Cheney's Bave Kurtzhalz took the loss after giving up the 4 runs in the 7th.
Dylan Nedved was 2-2 with a run scored while Anthony Mackenzie, Barber and Scott Wolverton had multiple hits with 2 each. Hutch pounded out 11 hits and left 11 runners stranded.
With the win, the Monarchs have now won 11 games in a row and are 1 game behind the league leading Diamond Dawgs with 3 games remaining between the two clubs.
Same two teams match up at Eck Stadium on the campus of Wichita State University Tuesday night in the late game of the Sunflower League feature night double header. That game will be streamed on the Sunflower League YouTube channel.