WICHITA, Kan. — For the third consecutive summer, the Hutchinson Monarchs will play for an NBC World Series championship, aiming to claim their second title in that stretch. The championship game is set for 7 p.m. Saturday at Equity Bank Park in downtown Wichita.
Hutchinson earned its spot in the final with a 3-2 win over the Seattle Cheney Studs on Friday, a matchup defined by pitching and timely hitting.
Seattle jumped ahead in the first inning when Jackson Copeland laced an RBI double. The Monarchs answered quickly in the third, seizing a 3-1 lead on Drew Bugner’s two-run single followed by an RBI double from Jaden Gustafson.
Starter Bradyn McClure carried Hutchinson on the mound, striking out nine while allowing just one run on five hits across 6 2/3 innings. Mitchell Johnson recorded the final three outs in order to secure the save.
Gustafson and Bugner powered the middle of the lineup with back-to-back run-producing hits, while JJ Spafford, Gustafson and Jake Gutierrez each collected two hits apiece.
Copeland led the Studs’ offense with two RBIs on a 2-for-4 night, and Seattle turned four double plays to keep the game tight, but the Monarchs’ third-inning rally proved to be the difference.