By:Brian Niblock of The Pratt Tribune Tuesday, 15 April, 2008

Pratt Community College pitcher Mike Rizzuto silenced Hutchinson's bats for four innings, but it didn't last in the Beavers' 10-1 loss Monday at Stanion Field.

Rizzuto, originally penciled in to start Saturday's game two that was postponed due to wet field conditions, gave up nine hits, walked four, and recorded three strikeouts.

"Mike Rizzuto really stepped up big for us. He gave us all he had," said PCC head coach Ryan Schmidt. "He gave us a chance early to stay in the game. He did everything he needed to do to give us a chance to win. I am very proud.

"He was hooked up all weekend on the plate and on the mound. I can't say enough good things about him."

PCC trailed 3-0 through four innings.

Rizzuto left in the fifth down 5-0 with one out and two Blue Dragons on base. Schmidt summoned Jeremy Heeke from the bullpen.

When the top of the fifth was finished, Hutchison had pulled away to an 8-0 lead.

Heeke, the victim of three errors, allowed four hits before being relieved by Casey Lippoldt with two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth. Lippoldt fanned three of the final four HCC batters of the game.

Keith Fields's fifth-inning solo home run to left, provided the Beavers their lone run.

PCC did not send more than five batters to the plate in any inning. Two double plays helped the Blue Dragons.

Fields's home run off HCC starter Tim Statz was PCC's lone extra base hit.

Matt Yerby belted a three-run, sixth-inning home run. It was the Blue Dragons' seventh of the four-game series.

Statz, a freshman lefthander, held the Beavers to four hits over five innings. He struck out six and walked two.

The Blue Dragons, 19-5, are one game back of 18-4 Seward County in the race for the Jayhawk West crown.

"Overall, we haven't quit. We haven't given up. Those aren't the issues," said Schmidt. "It is just stringing things together. In the first four innings we had guys in scoring position and didn't score. That is the disappointing thing and that is the thing we have to grind out right now, cashing in on every opportunity.

"We have to play fundamentally well and take advantage of every opportunity because our margin of error is a little smaller than everybody else's."

The Beavers, 9-19 in the Jayhawk West and 16-28 overall, travel to Coffeyville April 19-20. They meet Seward, ranked No. 12 in the current NJCAA Division I poll, April 26-27 in Liberal.

"This week we have to go back to the drawing board and get a lot more reps," said Schmidt. We have to be better on defense."

"The road doesn't get any easier," he added. "We're at the point in time where we're going to have to have some players step up, and we're going to have to have some players step up big for us. They're going to have to carry us to get a win and get us back on track. It is not going to be easy."