HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson completed a doubleheader sweep of Salina South on Friday at Fun Valley, rallying for a 9-4 win in Game 1 before holding off the Cougars 6-3 in Game 2.
The Lady Salthawks improved to 7-11 on the season and will travel to Andover Central on Monday.
In the opener, Hutchinson erased an early 3-0 deficit with a five-run third inning and never trailed again.
Kohlbie Craft helped spark the comeback with a two-run single in the third, while Darbie Wells followed with an RBI single. Brooke Hogan then reached on an error that allowed two more runs to score, giving the Lady Salthawks a 5-3 lead.
Salina South trimmed the deficit to 5-4 in the fourth, but Hutchinson answered with a run in the bottom half when Sadie Marciano scored to make it 6-4. The Lady Salthawks added three insurance runs in the sixth, highlighted by Annalee Eckhoff’s leadoff triple and Aah’lice Jackson’s RBI single.
Jackson went 2 for 3 with an RBI in Game 1, while Craft was 1 for 4 with two RBIs. Eckhoff tripled and scored twice, Marciano scored twice, and Wells and Hogan each drove in a run.
Mauree Garland earned the complete-game win, allowing four runs, three earned, on 10 hits over seven innings. She struck out four and walked one.
In Game 2, Hutchinson scored in the first inning and broke the game open with a three-run third on RBI hits from Alaina Borders and Brooke Hogan.
Darbie Wells gave the Lady Salthawks a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the first, then Borders lined a two-run single in the third and Hogan added an RBI single for a 4-0 advantage.
Salina South pulled within 4-2 on Paityn Fritz’s two-run homer in the fifth, but Hutchinson answered immediately when Craft blasted a solo home run in the bottom half. The Lady Salthawks added another run in the sixth after Baylee Pickering scored on an error to stretch the lead to 6-3.
Craft led Hutchinson in Game 2 by going 2 for 2 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored. Borders finished 1 for 4 with two RBIs, Wells was 1 for 3 with an RBI, and Hogan added an RBI single. Eckhoff also had a hit and scored, while Jaden Durant reached base twice and scored twice.
Kierah Sterling went the distance in the circle for Hutchinson, allowing three runs on six hits over seven innings. She struck out five and walked two.