BUHLER, Kan. — The Hutchinson Salthawks and Buhler Crusaders split a doubleheader at Wheatland Park on Thursday evening. Hutchinson won the first game, before Buhler bounced back to win the second game.
Game 1 — Hutchinson 7, Buhler 1
Behind a balanced offensive effort and a strong start in the circle, the Salthawks rolled to a 7-1 victory over the Crusaders for the first win of the young season.
Jayanna Cornejo and Kohlbie Craft led the way offensively for Hutchinson (1-2), each driving in two runs. Craft opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first and added a run-scoring double in the fifth. Cornejo homered in the second and capped the scoring with a two-run double in the seventh.
Sadie Marciano and Yazmin Pena each crossed the plate twice for the Salthawks, who struck early and never trailed after a two-run first inning.
In the circle, Craft earned the win, tossing a complete game while allowing one run on eight hits, walking two and striking out six across seven innings. She threw 90 pitches, 66 for strikes.
Buhler (4-3) got its lone run on a solo home run by Sydney Quint in the third inning. Lilly Horne took the loss despite a complete-game effort, surrendering seven runs (four earned) on 12 hits with four strikeouts and no walks.
The Salthawks capitalized on four Buhler errors and used timely hitting to pull away late, plating runs in five of the seven innings.
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Game 2 — Buhler 6, Hutchinson 3
Maddie Stallman’s two-run homer and a steady effort from Taylor Kesinger in the circle lifted Buhler to a 6-3 win over Hutchinson in Game 2 of Thursday’s doubleheader at Wheatland Park, earning the Crusaders a split.
Stallman delivered the key blow in the bottom of the sixth, sending a two-run shot to center field that padded Buhler’s lead to four. The Crusaders (5-3) collected 13 hits in the win, led by Ella Thiessen’s 2-for-3 effort that included a triple and two RBIs.
Kesinger went the distance for the win, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out three with no walks. She threw 112 pitches, 71 for strikes.
Buhler jumped out early with a three-run first inning. Thiessen tripled home Quint and later scored on Alexa Adame’s single. Annistyn Cram and Adame also drove in runs in the frame, with Hutchinson committing two errors that extended the inning.
The Salthawks (1-3) chipped away with single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Sadie Marciano singled home a run in the sixth, and B Pickering drove in another with a groundout in the seventh. Cornejo went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Hutchinson used two pitchers in the loss. Addison Coupe allowed six hits and two earned runs over three innings. Mauree Garland surrendered one earned over the final two innings.
Buhler committed just one error in the nightcap after making four in the opener.