CONCORDIA, Kan. – Taking the field for the first time in two weeks, the Cloud County Community College softball team would limit Hesston College just a single run to take game one by a score of 9-1 in five innings before dropping a high-scoring 15-12 decision in game two to split a home doubleheader at the CCCC Softball Field in Concordia, Kansas on Saturday, March 20th.

With the split of their opening Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference doubleheader, Cloud County is now 6-2 overall and 1-1 in the KJCCC while the Larks move to 9-5 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

GAME ONE:
The conference opener for the T-Birds would be all Cloud County as CCCC would limit Hesston just a single run on three hits while scoring in each of the first two innings to jump out to a 7-0 lead before adding a pair of runs in the fifth to end the game by run-rule. Cloud County would get a pair of runs on a Taylor Glause two RBI single in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead after one inning of play before sending 10 batters to the plate in the second as part of a five-run inning on six hits. The scoring in the second would all occur with two outs as Kayla Lee would hit a two-run homer over the center field fence to kick start six straight batters safely reaching base as Glause, Emily Dunaway, and Taylor Burks would all add RBI hits in the inning.

Hesston would then record two of their three hits in the game in the top of the third as a leadoff single would come around to score on a two-out RBI double before starting pitcher Delaney Miller would get a strikeout to end the inning. Cloud County would go scoreless in both the bottom of the third and fourth innings, but manage to maintain their six-run lead heading into the bottom of the fifth as Burks would lead off the inning with a single before a Kelsey Bohnsack RBI double would put the game-ending run on second. After a bunt single and strikeout, Kayla Lee would deliver with a two-out RBI single as pinch-runner Mackenzie Rowe would score to put CCCC up eight.

Miller would toss a complete game and strike out four in the contest, while allowing just the one run while facing 22 batters in the contest. Both Lee and Glause would have big games at the plate, accounting for five of Cloud County's 13 hits including two of the four extra-base hits by the T-Birds with both driving in three runs.

GAME TWO:
Things would initially appear as though the T-Birds would run away with game two as Cloud County would score six runs in the bottom of the first and add four in the second before seeing Hesston come storming back with 12 runs in the top of the third. CCCC's six-run first inning would come on six hits and an error by the Larks as the first four batters of the game for the T-Birds would reach base with six different players for Cloud County recording a hit in the inning to knock the Hesston starting pitcher out of the game.

The T-Birds wouldn't let an opportunity go to waste in the bottom of the second either as three straight hits to begin the inning would bring home a run and put runners on the corners as Cloud County would be in full control of the game. CCCC would go on to score additional runs on a Burks RBI groundout, Delaney Exon RBI single, and Ella Caudill RBI double as six more hits would lead to the four runs for Cloud County.

It would feel like death by 1,000 paper cuts for the T-Birds in the top of the third as Hesston would record just two extra-base hits in the inning, but send 16 batters to the plate to utilize six singles, a walk, and hit batter to keep extending the inning and score eight runs before an out would be recorded to score a total of 12 runs in the inning and take their first lead of the day.

Facing a deficit, Cloud County would battle back in the bottom of the third as Shayna Fila would start things off with an leadoff double as Dunaway would hit a sacrifice fly later in the inning to bring home the freshman to make it 12-11 before Rae Ann Hartwig would deliver with a two-out RBI double to tie things at 12-all.

Both teams would go scoreless in the fourth before seeing Hesston reclaim the lead with a run on two hits and a walk in the top of the fifth as CCCC would be unable to capitalize on a leadoff single in the bottom half of the inning. A scoreless sixth would then make way for the Larks to score a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh as CCCC would squander a leadoff single from Lee with two fielder's choices and a flyout to end the game.

Cloud County's 12 runs would come on 18 hits from the T-Bird offense as six players would have a multi-hit contest. Glause would finish four-for-five from the plate and score twice while Dunaway and Exon would both drive in a team-high three runs despite CCCC stranding six runners in the game.

Kyra Meyer (2.1 innings) and Miller (4.2 innings) would both see action in the circle for Cloud County as Miller would take the loss to fall to 3-2 after giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits. The Fairbury, Nebraska native would add four more strikeouts to her total in the game to finish the day with eight total strikeouts.

What's Next?
Cloud County will make up their previously postponed KJCCC doubleheader at Cowley with a Sunday road trip to Arkansas City to take on the Tigers at 1 p.m. Cowley is off to a 13-5 start this season and is 2-0 in the KJCCC after sweeping a road doubleheader at Neosho on Saturday afternoon.