Thunderbirds Split With Blue Dragons

(Great Bend, KS) – Playing on neutral soil, the Thunderbirds got a much needed victory over conference powerhouse Hutchinson Community College Monday afternoon in Great Bend, Kansas.  In the opener, the T-Birds fell in defeat 5-2.  In the night cap the game turned into a pitchers duel as neither team could cross the plate for 8 full innings.  Freshman Aaron Robins pitched 7 shut-out innings for the T-Birds before giving way to reliever Mark Bengtson. 

The Thunderbirds blew the lid off the game as they erupted for 5 runs in the top of the 9^th inning to seal the deal.  Freshman Mark Bengtson closed out the last two innings and captured his first win as a Thunderbird.  Hutch managed only one run in the bottom of the ninth, but it was not enough as the Cloud County Thunderbirds capture their first win of the 2008 season, 5-1. 

The T-Birds will return to Hutchinson today for another double header with game one getting underway at 1 p.m.  The Jayhawk Conference Western Division has moved to a weekend, four game series, in an effort to avoid excessive class absentees.  As you well know with spring sports, Mother Nature often has a different way of thinking.