Jaden Gustafson belted two home runs, and three other Monarchs also hit homers on Friday, as the Hutchinson Monarchs wrapped up the home portion of their schedule by routing the Newton Rebels 13-2 at Hobart-Detter Field.
The Monarchs finished with 15 hits, including nine that went for extra bases.
The Monarchs trailed 2-0 after two innings and got on track in the third inning. Gustafson’s two-run homer tied the game, and Brice Wallar later scored on a Jacob Knox groundout.
The Monarchs added six runs the next inning, putting the game away. After Carter Hepner led off with a walk, Drew Bugner smoked a two-run home run. Then, after a JJ Spafford walk, Gustafson homered again. With one out, Wallar doubled, and AJ Mustow followed with another home run.
Knox hit the final home run, a solo shot in the sixth inning.
Cole Toureau pitched in his final competitive game for the Monarchs, as he started and pitched into the second inning. Toureau was a fan favorite throughout his Monarchs career, known for selling 50-50 tickets during home games. He also had possibly the greatest start in Monarchs history, when he pitched into the eighth inning of the 2023 NBC World Series championship game, clamping down on the powerful Santa Barbara Foresters in a 6-3 win.
Brayden Henry was credited with the win, as he pitched four shutout innings, giving up three hits and striking out four.
The Monarchs improved to 22-9 and will wrap up the regular season at 6 p.m. at Newton. The Monarchs will then prepare for their NBC World Series opener, which will be 6 p.m. Thursday at Eck Stadium on the Wichita State campus.
