HUTCHINSON, Kan. - The Hutchinson Monarchs (11-3) and Rose Hill Sluggers (11-5) were locked up in a great defensive battle until Clayton Chadwick doubled in the 5th inning. Chadwick was then sacrificed to 3rd by Anthony Machenzie and then scored on a Taylor Barber sacrifice for the first RBI of the game. Chadwick was again involved in the Monarchs scoring with an RBI Triple scoring Tanner Schrag for the Monarchs 2nd run in the bottom of the 8th to lead Hutchinson to a 2-0 victory over Rose Hill at Hobart-Detter field Friday night.
The win evened the series at 2 wins each for Rose Hill and Hutchinson.
Liam Eddy earned the win for Hutchinson while Tanner Olmstead took the loss for the Sluggers. Eddy was solid over his 5 innings pitched giving up only 3 hits while striking out 7 and walking only 1. Eddy started the game by striking out the top of the Rose Hill order in the 1st.
Hutchinson's Hunter Waugh came in for Jared Sharp in the 9th to close out the game and get the save but not before Rose Hill made the game interesting. Jackson Dietel led off the 9th and was hit by a pitch to advance to 1st base. Garrett Kocis then walked to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out. Waugh was able to get Ross Cadena out on an infield pop up to Waugh and Will Reetz on a shallow fly ball to left filed for out number 2. Rose Hill then pinch hit Adam Theis in place of Matt Johnson. Waugh then hung a 0-1 curve ball to Theis who gave the ball a ride to send Hutchinson's Tanner Schrag to the wall before he snagged it for out number 3 and seal a Monarch win.
The Monarchs will now have the 4th of July off before traveling to Derby on Sunday night to take on the Twins. Hutchinson returns to Hobart-Detter field on Monday night for game 2 of the series. Monarch fans can catch 3 home games this week with Monday and Wednesday hosting Derby and the Great Bend Bat Cats on Saturday night July 11th. That game will be video streamed on Hutchpost.com.