After 4 1/2 innings in Game 1 of the Plains District Tournament Opening-Round Series on Friday, the Hutchinson Community College baseball team trailed the Allen Red Devils 5-1.
From that point in the series – a span of nine innings over two games – the No. 22-ranked Blue Dragons scored 24 unanswered runs to complete a series sweep of the Red Devils.
Karter Chamberlain and two relievers combined on a three-hit shutout as the fourth-seeded Blue Dragons defeated 13th-seed Allen 10-0 in seven innings. The Dragons defeated Allen 15-5 in Game 1 on Thursday.
The Blue Dragons (45-13) advance to play the fifth-seeded Cowley Tigers at 7 p.m. in the opening round of the Plains District Tournament on Wednesday at Eck Stadium in Wichita.
Chamberlain struck out a career-high eight batters scattering three hits over five shutout innings. Chamberlain faced only one serious scoring threat after the Red Devils (18-39) had a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases. Chamberlain got out of the jam with a strikeout.
Merek Yeager and Brayden Henry worked perfect innings in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively.
Offensively, the Blue Dragons scored in six of seven offensive innings. Hutchinson had just six hits off four Allen pitchers, but the Blue Dragons took advantage of seven Red Devil walks and three fielding errors.
Sophomore Eli Duncan tied a program single-game record with three doubles in a 3-for-4 performance. Duncan scored two runs and drove in a pair of runs. He is the 13th Blue Dragon player to have three doubles in one game, the first since Jordan Kuhnau earlier this season.
Jackson Schanuel hit his second home run of the series, a two-run shot in the third inning. Diesel Purnell and Cru Huenfeld had hits.
Leading 3-0 after two innings, the Blue Dragons doubled their lead to six when Schanuel hit a two-run homer and Duncan doubled in Huenfeld for a 6-0 lead. The Dragons made it 8-0 in the fourth when Anthony Mazza stole home and Kuhnau had an RBI groundout.
Fin Hochstein’s sacrifice fly scored Duncan in the fifth inning for a 9-0 lead. The Dragons closed the game out in the seventh when Aiden Marien drew a bases-loaded walk to score Purnell with the 10th run of the game.
GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons completed their ninth Region 6 Tournament opening round sweep since this format began in 2004. … The Dragons have won 13 of 18 opening-round series, nine by sweep. … The Blue Dragons are 11-0 against Allen in the Region 6 Tournament since 2004. … Diesel Purnell now has a current team-high nine-game hitting streak. … The Blue Dragons had six stolen bases in Game 2. … Jordan Kuhnau is now No. 2 in single-season RBIS with 88.
