12th-seeded 'Hounds sweep Hutch

HUTCHINSON -- Fort Scott Community College's baseball team was the only lower seed to win a first-round series in the Region VI Tournament over the weekend and will go to Wichita this weekend for double-elimination play.

Fort Scott swept fifth-seeded Hutchinson 8-7 and 9-8, knocking the Blue Dragons out of the playoffs at 33-22. The Greyhounds improved to 30-27, clinching their fifth consecutive season with a winning record, the longest such run in the program's history. It's also their fifth consecutive season with at least 30 victories, another school record.

Nick Banman hit his ninth home run of the season leading off the second inning to give Fort Scott a 1-0 lead. Hutchinson scored twice in the bottom of the inning.

Trey Hair doubled to center with 2 out in the top of the fourth and scored on Jake Andrade's single, tying the score. Hutch scored twice in the bottom of the inning to go up 4-2.

Josh Whisler hit a solo homer leading off the top of the fifth, spurring a 5-run rally. With one out, Jake Harvey bunted for a single. Then Nathan Methvin walked and Dalton Rook was hit by a pitch.

Mitch Sloan reached on an error, which allowed Harvey to score. Hair singled to right to score Methvin. Then Andrade's sacrifice fly scored Rook. Kaden Shaffer followed with a single up the middle to score Sloan, making it 7-4.

Hutch scored once in the bottom of the fifth. The 'Hounds scored once in the seventh when Andrade's single to right plated Sloan, who led off with a single to center.

Hutch scored twice in the eighth to get within 8-7. Fort Scott got a 2-out single by Whisler in the top of the ninth but could not bring him home.

Matt Peterson (5-3), who pitched the last 4 2/3 innings in relief, got the Dragons out in order in the bottom of the ninth.

Fort Scott had 12 hits, two each by Hair, Andrade, Whisler and Harvey. Chris Pinne was 3 for 5 for Hutchinson.

Peterson allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, didn't walk anyone and struck out 2.

Game two started with a bang for the 'Hounds in the form of Whisler's grand slam to produce a 4-0 lead. Hair and Andrade singled and Shaffer was hit by a pitch in front of Whisler's ninth homer of the season.

The inning continued with Banman's single to center. Harvey walked and Methvin followed with a 2-run double. Methvin moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Hair's 2-out single to right. Hair stole second and third and scored when Hutchinson misplayed Andrade's grounder to third.

Up 8-0, Fort Scott didn't score again until the ninth inning. Hutchinson scored 6 in the third. Two more in the bottom of the eighth tied the score.

Harvey led off the top of the ninth and was hit by a Tanner Raiburn (4-2) pitch. Methvin drew a walk and Raiburn was pulled for T.J. Egloff.

Egloff struck out the next two batters but Harvey and Methvin pulled off a double steal and then Harvey scored the winning run on a passed ball.

Peterson allowed a 2-out single in the bottom of the ninth but got a groundball to end the series to pick up his second win in relief of the day after going the final 3 innings, allowing 2 unearned runs on 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4. Brendan Janes pitched 3 1/3 innings of solid relief to keep the Dragons at bay for a while, allowing 2 hits and a walk with 3 strikeouts. The pitchers had to overcome 5 errors from their defense.

Hair and Whisler each had 2 of Fort Scott's 9 hits. Josh Williams was 3 for 4 for Hutchinson.

Fourth-seeded Johnson County (48-9) swept Pratt 6-5 and 13-3 and will be Fort Scott's opponent in the first round of bracket play Friday. Their match-up will be the second game of four on the day beginning at 1 p.m.

The Cavaliers, ranked No. 5 in the NJCAA poll, took the season series from the 'Hounds, 3-1.

NOTES -- Just two of the eight first-round series went three games, and both winners of those series lost the first game. Seward County, the Western Division champion and tournament's top seed, lost game one to Highland and Butler dropped the first game to Kansas City....

The Greyhounds played Hutchinson here on February 20 and lost both games....

All four games of the Johnson County series were played in Overland Park mid-week in February, playing on the Cavs' artificial surface to try and avoid any weather problems. Johnson swept 14-4 and 16-4 on Feb. 24 and won the first game the next day 8-6 before the 'Hounds won the finale 5-4....

Although Seward County (34-23) is the top seed, three teams seeded lower from the Eastern Division have 40 or more wins including second-seeded and No. 1-ranked Cowley (49-3), Johnson County and No. 6 Neosho County (42-14). In fact, third-seeded Dodge City (37-17) also has a better overall record than Seward....

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Game One

Fort Scott..... 010 150 100 -- 8 12 1

Hutchinson... 020 210 020 -- 7 10 1

WP -- Peterson (4-3). LP -- Simpson (7-3).

HR -- Fort Scott: Banman (9, 2nd inn., none on, none out, Whisler (8, 5th inn., none on, none out).

Game Two

Fort Scott..... 800 000 001 -- 9 9 5

Hutchinson... 006 000 020 -- 8 14 1

WP -- Peterson (5-3). LP -- Raiburn (4-2).

HR -- Fort Scott: Whisler (9, 1st inn., 3 on, none out). Hutchinson: Baxley (4, 3rd inn., none on, none out).