Dragon Sweep Monday Puts Saints in Uncharted Territory
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Seward County Community College | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 |
|
Hutchinson Community College | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | X | 8 | 12 | 2 |
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Seward County Community College | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 1 |
|
Hutchinson Community College | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | X | 7 | 8 | 0 |
With their second straight Jayhawk West series loss to open up the 2016 season, the Seward County Saints find themselves in a place that they have never been in under 35th year Head Coach Galen McSpadden. The Saints suffered 7-4 and 8-5 losses to Hutchinson Monday, dropping Seward to 8-15 overall and 2-6 in conference play.
After their Sunday games were washed out due to overnight rain in Hutchinson, the Saints picked things up in a good spot Monday, jumping out to an early 3-0 lead on the host Dragons, getting a two run double off the bat of Cody Stineman and an RBI single from Chad Kennedy to drive him in in the top half of the 2nd inning.
Hutch got a run back in the bottom half to make it 3-1, but the Saints quickly answered, getting a leadoff double from Logan Nethercot in their next at bats and watched Nethercot score later in the inning on a wild pitch to push their lead back to three at 4-1.
Following a scoreless 3rd and top half of the 4th for the Saints, it remained a 4-1 game as the Dragons came to hit in their half of the inning. That's when things went south for the guys in green. A Seward error started the mess that ended up in a five run Hutchinson 4th, turning the Saints lead around for a 6-4 lead of their own.
The Blue Dragons added another run in the 5th to make it a 7-4 game and that is where it remained into the 7th and final inning of action.
In the Saints final at bats, they put two on with nobody out after back to back singles from Kennedy and Jared Biddy to start the inning, but Seward couldn't get the ball out of the infield on their next three tries, striking out twice and popping out foul to first base to end the inning and the game with Hutchinson hanging on to win it 7-4.
The Saints outhit the Dragons 10-8 in the ballgame, but Seward left 6 on while Hutch left just 2. Kennedy led the Saints with a 3 for 3 game out of the nine hole while lefties Easton Herring and Nethercot each had 2 hits in the loss. Brian Tims took the loss on the mound, allowing 6 hits and 6 runs without getting out of the 4th inning to fall to 1-2 on the year.
SEWARD COUNTY/HUTCHINSON GAME THREE BOX SCORE
The Saints put pressure on the Dragons right away in the series final, seeing Errett Edwards double to lead off the game and two other baserunners reach later in the frame, but they could do nothing with it, as Edwards was picked off of second with one out and a three pitch strikeout ended the inning without anything crossing in the 1st.
The Dragons jumped in front in their first chance, using a four pitch walk to begin the game and a pair of hits to put up a two spot to take an early 2-0 lead in the game.
Hutch used another big hit, this time a two out single to plate two more in the 3rd to open their lead to 4-0 and then a pair of triples in the 4th to score another and make it a 5-0 game.
The Blue Dragons really padded their cushion in the 5th, pounding out four hits to score two more runs to open up a 7-0 advantage.
Seward's bats remained ice cold through the middle innings as the Saints saw 15 straight hitters come to the plate from the 4th to the 8th without recording a hit as the Dragons stayed in control, up 7-0.
The Saints finally broke through in the 8th as they went to their bench for pinch hitters as Tims collected a pinch hit knock, Herring drove home a run in the pinch to get Seward on the board, and Justin Graff-Rowe rung a single to left to bring home another to make it 7-2. Later in the inning, the Saints saw a man get picked off yet again, however in the midst of the rundown, Graff-Rowe sprinted home to cut the Hutch lead to 7-3.
A solo home run by Caden Doga, his third of the series against Saints pitching, pushed the Hutch lead back to five at 8-3.
As they did in their last at bats of game three, Seward put two runners on in the 9th in this one, but three strikeouts in the 9th for the Saints doused any ember of a chance they had for a comeback as the Dragons finished them off 8-3 to take the series 3-1.
Seward managed 9 hits in the loss, getting 2 each from Edwards, Biddy, and catcher Josh Nicol. Saints starter Jonathan Castillo took the loss, allowing 8 hits and 7 runs, all earned, in just 4 1/3 innings of work on the mound to fall to 1-2 on the year. Braden Terrell pitched admirably in relief for the Saints, going 3 2/3 innings out of the bullpen, allowing just 1 Blue Dragon run.
SEWARD COUNTY/HUTCHINSON GAME FOUR BOX SCORE
The Saints historically rough start to the season continues as they fall to 8-15 overall and 2-6 in Jayhawk West Conference play, both program worsts in the McSpadden era. Hutchinson on the other hand, continues an outstanding start, improving to 17-2 overall and 6-2 in league play with the series win.
Seward now returns home with their tails between their legs to open a nine game home stand beginning on Wednesday at Brent Gould Field in Liberal when they will take on the Frank Phillips Plainsmen in a 3:00 non-conference tilt.