HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson High School baseball team dropped two games to Maize South on Tuesday at Hobart-Detter Field. The Salthawks drop to 1-13 overall and will travel to Haysville, April 21 to face the Campus Colts.
Game 1 (5 Inn.): Maize South 13, Hutchinson 2
Maize South took advantage of early miscues and never let up, collecting 14 hits while building a 9-0 lead through two innings.
Maize South struck first in the opening inning after Cy Stucky reached on an error and later scored on a groundout by Davin Dreiling. The Mavericks then broke the game open in the second, sending 12 batters to the plate in an eight-run frame fueled by five hits, three walks and a hit batter.
Kade Cary delivered the biggest blow of the inning with a two-run triple, while Connor Mucciaccio, Brody Epke and Kanyon Akers each added RBI hits.
Hutchinson got on the board in the third when Brodie McCuan singled and later scored on an RBI groundout from Oak Williams. The Salthawks added another run in the fourth after Landon Haugsness tripled and scored when Eli Atha reached on an error.
Haugsness had Hutchinson’s lone extra-base hit, finishing with a triple, while JuJu Lyons went 2 for 3 and scored a run. McCuan and Williams also added hits for the Salthawks, who finished with five total.
Cary led Maize South both at the plate and on the mound. He went 3 for 4 with a triple, three RBIs and three runs driven in, while also tossing a complete-game five-hitter with eight strikeouts. Levi Hansen added a triple and double and drove in three runs, while Stucky finished with a double and reached base three times.
Kam Wilson took the loss for Hutchinson after allowing five runs in 1 2/3 innings. Merrick Brotzman worked the final 3 1/3 innings in relief.
Game 2: Maize South 4, Hutchinson 3
Hutchinson nearly rallied from an early deficit, but Maize South held off the Salthawks for a 4-3 win in Game 2 of Tuesday’s doubleheader.
The Mavericks jumped out early, scoring twice in the first inning after drawing three walks to load the bases before Kade Cary lined a two-run double to left field.
Maize South added a run in the third when Davin Dreiling scored on a fielder’s choice, then pushed its lead to 4-1 in the fourth after Brody Epke singled and later came home on Levi Hansen’s RBI single.
Hutchinson answered in the bottom of the third. Kam Wilson was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a two-out RBI single by Landon Haugsness to cut the deficit to 3-1.
The Salthawks pulled closer in the fourth when Brodie McCuan doubled and later scored on a GeVaugn Embers RBI double to make it 4-2.
Hutchinson trimmed the lead to one run in the fifth. JuJu Lyons singled to start the inning, Oak Williams reached on a fielder’s choice and Haugsness followed with a bunt single. After a double steal by Williams and Haugsness, Gabe Valadez brought home Williams with a groundout to make it 4-3.
That was as close as Hutchinson would get.
Maize South turned to its bullpen late, and Brody Epke shut the door over the final two innings, striking out five to earn the save. Cale Caruth picked up the win after allowing three runs over four-plus innings before Eli Jaberg and Lincoln Boysen bridged the middle innings.
Hutchinson matched Maize South with seven hits in the loss. Lyons went 2 for 3, Haugsness finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs, and McCuan and Embers each doubled. Merrick Brotzman also added a hit.
Lyons started on the mound for the Salthawks and worked five innings with four strikeouts. Payne Young pitched the final two innings in relief.