ANDALE - Garrett Stephens produced two run-scoring hits while Colton Cowser and Taylor Barber provided the big blows in a key fifth inning as the Hutchinson Monarchs downed the Andale Warhawks 8-4 to open a two-game series in Andale.
The Monarchs are now 8-4 overall and 2-0 against Andale this season.
Stephens was 2 for 5 with three RBIs to lead the Monarchs on Friday. His two-run double put the Monarchs on the board in thetop ofthe first. Then leading 6-2 entering the ninth inning. Stephens drove in his third run of the game with a single to deep short to make a five-run lead and start a two-run ninth. Those runs were big becamse Andale scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth.
Tied at 2-all in the fifth, Cowser lined a double to left-center to score Conor Craig and Kevin Cronin to give Hutch the lead. Barber then followed Cowser with a two-run home run to left to make it a four-run inning - all four coming with two out - and a 6-2 Monarch lead. The homer was Barber's sixth of the season and franchise-leading 14th of his Monarchs' career.
Stephens, Cronin, Craig and Jackson Lofton all had two hits each to lead Hutch's 12-hit attack. Cower, Barber, Stephens and Jackson, the Nos. 3 through 6 hitters in the order, had all eight RBIs in the game.
Joshua Fortenberry (1-1) earned his first pitching victory of the season with six inning of work. He allowed four hits and two runs with six strikeouts and only one walk. Dawson Linder allowed a paor of runs and two hits with six strikeouts over the final three innings of work,
Hutchinson returns to Andale on Sunday to conclude the series in a 6 p.m. game at Andale High School.
