HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Despite falling by a score of 7-3 in game one, the Cloud County Community College baseball team would bounce back with an 11-5 win in game two to become the first Kansas Jayhawk Community College West Division team this season to split a four-game series with Hutchinson Community College at Hobart-Detter Field in Hutchinson, Kansas on Sunday, April 18th.
 
Continuing their recent streak of having not lost a conference series in their last three series as the T-Birds improve to 22-14 overall and 12-8 in the KJCCC while the Blue Dragons now sit at 25-11 overall and 19-5 in conference play.
 
Game One:
Unable to do anything with a one-out single, Cloud County would see Hutchinson work a leadoff single followed by a double to put two runners on with no outs. Following a po out that would not allow either runner to move forward a base, an RBI groundout would break the scoreless tie as the Blue Dragons would go on to get a two-out RBI single to go up 2-0 after an inning of play.
 
A response from CCCC in the top of the second would see leadoff batter Williams Camacho-Soto get things started with a double as Garrett Redden would follow with a single to put runners on the corners. An RBI groundout from Ian Riley would move both runners up 90 feet as Camacho-Soto would score to cut the lead to 2-1, but Cloud County would see a pair of flyouts end the inning without any more offense produced.
 
Both teams would then go scoreless in their next at-bats to send things to the bottom of the third where Hutchinson would utilize a one-out triple and sacrifice fly to go back up by a two-run margin at 3-1 heading to the fourth. The game would then see both teams push single runs across for each of the next three at-bats as Cloud County would get within one at 3-2 and again at 4-3 as things would go to the bottom of the fifth.
 
Working around a hit batter, Cloud County would keep things at a one-run deficit heading to the top of the sixth as Hutchinson would make an early call to the bullpen to bring in closer Tyler Delong for a six-out save. The T-Birds would get a leadoff single from Kayden Beauregard before a pair of flyouts and a strikeout would end the would-be game-tying run on first.
 
The Blue Dragon offense would then come alive in the bottom of the sixth as HCC would hit back-to-back singles to go along with a fielding error to put runners on second and third with no outs as Cloud County would be forced to make a move to the bullpen to try and limit the damage. A wild pitch on a third strike would allow both runners to move up 90 feet and the Hutchinson batter to reach base as things would now become a two-run deficit before a sacrifice bunt brought home a second run in the inning to make it a 6-3 ballgame. Hutchinson would go on to add one more run in the inning and then work a perfect top of the seventh to earn their second-straight win over the T-Birds.  
 
Limited to just five hits in the game, Camacho-Soto would account for two of CCCC's hits and runs scored with Adler Pierson coming home to score the lone other run for the T-Birds. Riley would account for both RBIs for Cloud County while Noah Olson would draw both walks allowed by Hutchinson.
 
Game Two:
The limited offensive production in game one would do little to stop CCCC in game two as the T-Birds would put two of their first three batters of the game on base with Beauregard hitting an RBI double to drive in Olson to give Cloud County a quick 1-0 lead. After an Ian Riley strikeout, a passed ball would allow Camacho-Soto to move to second after getting on base earlier in the inning with a single to set up a Brock Hillebert two-RBI double. Trevor Stevens would then cap off the inning with an RBI single as Hutchinson starter Luke Hornberger would last all of two-thirds of an inning with CCCC taking a 4-0 lead after half an inning of play.
 
Things would stay a four-run T-Bird lead until the bottom of the third as a leadoff double and single for the Blue Dragons would bring home a run and set up a second run to come home on a two-out RBI triple. A walk would then put the game-tying run aboard as an attempted steal would be gunned down by catcher Jose Luna to end the inning and get out of the jam.
 
Cloud County would turn a walk, error on a pickoff attempt, and wild pitch into a run into the top of the fourth before adding another solo run in the top of the fifth to reclaim their four-run lead at 6-2 heading to the bottom of the fifth. The four-run lead would be more than enough for CCCC starter Christian Womble who would settle in after the two-run third to hold Hutchinson scoreless in each of the next four innings as the T-Birds would break things open in the sixth with an Ian Riley three-run blast to right field.
 
Adding two more runs on an Olson homer in the seventh, Cloud County would take their largest lead of the game at 11-2 and be in full control heading into the final two innings of play as the Blue Dragons would appear to out for good. A leadoff single and one-out walk would be followed by a no-doubt home run in the bottom of the eighth to briefly give HCC some momentum to try and get back into the game as the lead would be cut down to 11-5, but the final five batters of the game would be retired in order for the Blue Dragons as Cloud County would ensure that a comeback would not be in order in to earn the series split.
 
Producing four of their eight hits in the opening inning of action, Cloud County would see the top six players in their lineup record at least one hit with Stevens going two-for-four with a pair of runs driven in. Riley would have a team-high three RBI coming on his extra-base hit as Cloud County would wind up driving in 10 of their 11 runs and work seven walks.
 
Earning his first decision of the year on the mound, Womble would go a season-high seven innings and strike out seven to pick up the win while allowing two runs on four hits. Rans Sanders would then work the final two innings of work and give up three runs on two hits while striking out one Blue Dragon batter.
 
What's Next?
A second-straight road doubleheader will see the T-Birds head over to Colby, Kansas to take on the Trojans at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 22nd. The Trojans are coming off a series win against Garden City following a home sweep on Sunday and have won five of their past six games.