CONCORDIA, Kan. – Two sixth-inning home runs would spoil an otherwise strong pitching outing from the Cloud County Community College baseball team in a 4-3 loss to Butler Community College before fending off a late rally for a 9-6 win in game two to split a home doubleheader at Lee Doyen Field in Concordia, Kansas on Friday, March 19th.

A third-straight doubleheader split for the T-Birds puts Cloud County at 11-9 overall and 3-3 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference West Division while the Grizzlies are now 6-3 overall and 4-2 in KJCCC action.

GAME ONE:
Pitching would be on point from both teams in the series opener as crooked number in the bottom of the third and the top of the sixth would account for six of the seven runs in the contest. After a quick first inning from both T-Bird starter Kolby Dougan and Grizzly starter Braden Meek, Cloud County would appear to have something brewing in the bottom of the second as a throwing error and walk would put two runners on with no outs. After Williams Camacho-Soto would steal third, a sharply hit ball to third by Brock Hillebert would see Camacho-Soto get a delayed break for home as BCCC would choose to cut down the run at the plate before back-to-back strikeouts would end the threat and strand a pair of runners for CCCC.

Dougan would continue dealing through the third with another one-two-three inning as Cloud County would finally manage to break through with a one-out rally as Jaden Parsons would reach base after being hit a pitch before a stolen base and Noah Olson single would put runners on the corners. Butler would come back with a strike out momentarily put a stop to the threat, but Camacho-Soto would deliver with a double to left field as both Parsons and Olson would score to put CCCC up by a score of 2-0 heading to the fourth.

The 2-0 lead would hold until the bottom of the fifth as CCCC would get an insurance run on a Parsons triple and Olson RBI single, but Butler would finally break through to end a potential no-hit bid from Dougan in the top of the sixth. After a one-out walk would be issued to nine-hole hitter Cache Stone, Butler would get on the board with a two-run homer to left field as the game would suddenly become a one-run contest. Another walk would set the table for Josh Cameron to turn on an inside pitch and hit the second home run of the inning as Butler would turn a 3-0 deficit to start the inning into a 4-3 lead.

Cloud County would then strand a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth before stranding a Butler runner in the top of the seventh to keep things at a one-run deficit, but would be unable to figure out Grizzly closer Zach Nagel as the sophomore would strike out the side to end the game.

Stranding six base runners in the game, Cloud County would get six total hits in the contest led by two each from Parsons and Olson while Camacho-Soto would have a team-high two RBI. On the mound, it would be Dougan who would take the loss to fall to 3-2 after throwing six innings and giving up four runs on three this with nine strikeouts while Rans Sanders would throw the final inning and strike out two.

GAME TWO:  
Two walks and an RBI single would stake Butler to a 1-0 lead after half an inning of play as Cloud County would have a response in the bottom of the first by getting a Willie Ponce leadoff double and Garrett Redden two-out RBI single to knot things at 1-1 after an inning.

An aggressive approach from T-Bird hitters in the bottom of the second would then see Hillebert and Ian Riley hit back-to-back doubles to left center field to push across another run for Cloud County in the bottom of the second as the T-Birds would then get an Adler Pierson fielder's choice that saw everyone safe score Riley as part of a four-run inning to make it a 5-1 CCCC lead.

Butler would get a run back in the top of the third as a leadoff single would come around to score on a sacrifice fly later in the inning with the 5-2 lead holding until the bottom of the sixth. Cloud County would then get after reliever Zach Chiolis with three runs on two hits and an error with Parsons delivering with a two-RBI double before coming around to score on a wild pitch later in the inning to make it a 9-2 lead heading to the seventh.

The seven-run T-Bird lead would prove to be more than enough run support for the CCCC bullpen as Cloud County would give up a pair of runs in the top of the eighth before having to fend off a bases-loaded no-out jam in the ninth with Butler scoring two more runs on three hits before a strikeout would end the game.

It would be the top of the lineup providing the offense in game two as Ponce would go three-for-three in the leadoff spot while also drawing two walks while Parsons would go two-for-five with two RBIs and a run scored. Hillebert and Wevers would also record two hits in the game with Ponce, Parsons, Hillebert, and Riley all recording an extra-base hit.

Getting the win in relief would be freshman Javier Cruz as the Grand Island, Nebraska native would toss three innings and give up two runs on three this while striking out three. Sanders would make his second appearance on the mound of the day in the top of the ninth, coming in with the bases loaded and no outs to strike out two batters and earn his second save of the year while facing four batters.

What's Next?
Saturday will be an off day for both the T-Birds and Grizzlies as the two squads will conclude their four-game conference series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader live from McDonald Stadium in El Dorado, Kansas at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 21st.