KANSAS CITY, Kansas — The Cloud County Community College softball team dropped Thursday's doubleheader on the road against Kansas City Kansas Community College, falling by the final scores of 15-1 and 3-2.

After a tough first game, the T-Birds (9-15 overall, 2-8 KJCCC) put themselves in a good position to earn the split in Game Two as they took a 2-0 lead in the top of the of the fifth inning.

Freshman third baseman Payton Gillen led off the inning with a single and moved to third on a bunt by fellow freshman, Madison Hammond.

After freshman Shania Schraad reached on a hit-by-pitch, her and Gillen raced home on a two-out, two-run triple by sophomore outfielder Autumn Adams to put Cloud County up 2-0.

"That was a huge at-bat for Autumn because she had been struggling of late. She did a nice job of getting her hands out to the ball and it jumped off her bat," said Cloud County head coach, Aaron Acree. "I thought 'Here we go, we're going to turn the corner.' Unfortunately, it didn't happen."

Cloud County's lead was short lived as the Blue Devils (9-15 overall, 3-11) answered with two runs of their own in the home-half of the inning on a two-run home run by Shannon Brown.

KCKCC then took the lead in the home-half of the sixth inning on an RBI single from Brown, who was a thorn in the side for the T-Birds as she was the only hitter to drive in a run off Hammond in Game Two.

Hammond, who was also 2-for-2 at the plate in Game Two, pitched all six innings, scattering seven hits while striking out two.

"She pitched with a chip on her shoulder in Game Two and was locating her pitches for the most part," Acree said of Hammond. "Our catcher (Kayla West) did a great job behind the plate calling the game and she got out of two, three or four jams."

The T-Birds had a chance in the top of the seventh inning to tie or take the lead as Gillen led off with a double for her second hit on the day. Hammond then reached on a bunt single and stole second base to give Cloud County two runners in scoring position with one out.

The rally stalled there, though, as Blue Devils' reliever Shannon Greene was able to get back-to-back strikeouts to end the ballgame.

Cloud County will get a few days to regroup before it returns home to host Cowley County Community College at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

Acree said the team will draw from the positives from Game Two and try to weather the growing pains of a young team that is still without the pitching services of sophomore ace Jordan Ummel as she works her way back from injury.

"There were positives there in that Game Two and we're coming off a stretch where we couldn't play for two weeks (due to inclement weather)," Acree said. "Hopefully we can get in a rhythm now because we'll have another tough one against Cowley on Tuesday."