DODGE CITY, Kan. – The Hutchinson Community College softball team is one of three teams still alive in the Region VI Softball Tournament at Legends Park.
The Blue Dragons defeated Colby 13-6 in the winner's bracket semifinals on Saturday. Hutch then lost 9-0 in five innings to No. 3 Butler in the winner's bracket final, the Dragons' first appearance that keep in the regional winner's bracket since 2018.
Hutchinson (29-16) will play Barton (20-26) in the loser's bracket final at 10 a.m. on Sunday. The winner of that game would have to beat Butler twice at Noon and 2 p.m. to win the Region VI championship. The Blue Dragons bid for their third Region VI Tournament championship appearance in five seasons, the first in the Division I Tournament since 1987.
COLBY RECAP
The Blue Dragons jumped on top-seeded Colby with three quick runs in the top of the first and finished off the Trojans with a six-run uprising in the top of the seventh.
After Lexi Williams reached on an error and Haley Miller walked, Madison Grimes scored both on a double to right-center field. Grimes then scored from second on a fly ball out by Natalie Bevan to make it 3-0 Hutchinson.
Colby pulled within 3-2 with single runs off Jordan Galliher in the second and third. Williams ripped a two-run single in the top of the fifth as part of a three-run inning. The Dragons added an unearned run in the sixth to make it 7-4.
Hutch then took advantage of five Colby walks in the top of the seventh. Kylee Dun and Miller had RBI hits and Alexis way had a two-run single as part of a six-run frame and a 13-4 lead.
The Blue Dragons had 11 hits with Miller, Way and Bailey Pennycuff getting two hits each. Grimes went 1 for 3 and drove in three runs. Williams and Way had two RBIs each.
Galliher (13-4) went 4 2-3 innings to earn her 13th win of the season. She allowed five hits and four earned runs while striking out two and walking one. Sadie Loney went 2 1-3 innings for her third save of the season. Loney struck out three.
BUTLER RECAP
Grizzly pitcher Izzy Erickson held the Blue Dragons to a season-low-tying two hits in their five-inning win over Hutchinson in the winner's bracket final.
The Grizzlies seized control early with four runs in the first inning and five more in the second. Butler had 10 hits in the game, including three home runs. Hannah Knox hit two homers and drove in four. Ari Cordova also homered for Butler.
Williams and Miller had the only Blue Dragon hits off Erickson, who struck out eight.
Carley Sterneker saw her hitting streak come to an end in the Butler game. Sterneker's streak, the third longest in Blue Dragon history, ended at 19 games.