EL DORADO, Kan. – For the second time in three games, the Cloud County Community College baseball team would see a pair of late-inning home runs give Butler Community College the lead as part of a 6-5, seven-inning loss before falling 10-4 in the series finale to be swept in a doubleheader at McDonald Stadium in El Dorado, Kansas on Sunday, March 21st.

Through 22 games of their season, Cloud County sits at 11-11 overall and 3-5 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference while Butler picks up a series win for the second straight weekend to improve to 8-3 overall and 6-2 in the KJCCC to stay in a tie for first in the KJCCC West Division.

Game One:
Cloud County strike first in the top of the second as left fielder Ian Riley would hit a one-out solo home run to center field with a stiff breeze blowing out to center as the T-Birds would take a 1-0 lead. Butler would go scoreless for the second-straight inning in the bottom of the second after stranding their third baserunner of the game, but get three runs of support in the bottom f the third as a base runner would get aboard with a one-out error before a two-run home run would give the Grizzlies a 2-1 lead. BCCC would go on to use a walk, infield single, and RBI single to tack on one more run as CCCC would trail by a score of 3-1 heading to the fourth.

In the fourth, it would be the long-ball working again for the T-Birds as freshman Noah Olson would go yard with his third home run of the season to pull Cloud County back within one before a one-out RBI double from Riley would score Garrett Redden who hit a single earlier in the inning to tie things at 3-3. CCCC would keep things going by stranding a pair of Butler runners in the bottom of the fourth before adding two more runs in the fifth on a Jaden Parsons RBI double and error later in the inning that would allow Willie Ponce to score.

Butler would get a run back in the bottom of the fifth as an error to lead off the inning would put a runner on second before a stolen base and infield single would bring the Grizzlies back within a run at 5-4. Cloud County would be unable to tack on any insurance runs in the sixth as BCCC would manage to hit back-to-back one out home runs as the first would come on the 100th pitch of the day from freshman pitcher Carl Aikman while the second would give Butler a 6-5 lead. The T-Birds would have one final chance in the top of the seventh, putting the game-tying run represented by Olson on second with a one-out double before a wild pitch would move the Omaha, Nebraska native to third. A pop out to the shortstop and strikeout however would end the game as Cloud County would see the run stranded in yet another one-run loss.

Only Riley and Olson would have multiple hits in the game for Cloud County as the T-Birds would finish with eight hits and draw only two walks while striking out six times. Six of CCCC's eight eights would go for extra-bases as Riley and Olson would see both of their hits go for extra-bases. Aikman would go the distance on the mound for the T-Birds, striking out eight and walking three while allowing six runs (three earned) on 12 hits.

Game Two:
Game two would be a much different story as the Grizzlies would jump out to a 4-0 lead after an inning of action thanks in part to four hits including a three-run homer before adding four more runs in the bottom of the second. Cloud County would get a run back in the top of the third on a Parsons sacrifice fly before seeing BCCC use a throwing error to get the run back in the bottom of the inning as the deficit would remain eight heading to the fourth. Redden would lead things off in the fourth with a solo home run to center field as the run would be the only run scored in the fourth or fifth inning.

Butler would use a walk, stolen base, passed ball, and wild pitch to bring home another unearned run in the bottom of the sixth as the T-Birds would once again face an eight-run hole but now with just nine outs to work with offensively. Single runs in the top of the eighth and ninth would allow CCCC to cut into the BCCC lead, but it would be too little too late as the Grizzlies would hang on to earn a sweep of the day.

Cloud County would be limited to just six hits in the contest with two apiece coming from Ponce and Parsons while Redden and Riley would each hit home runs for their only hits of the contest. Four different pitchers for CCCC would see action in the game, including Conner Woods (2.0 innings), Christian Womble (4.0 innings), Brady Kobitowich (1.0 innings), and Liam Bates (1.0 innings) as the T-Bird staff would strike out 13 while allowing just five earned runs.

What's Next?
The T-Birds will look to bounce back on Thursday, March 25th with a 1 p.m. home doubleheader against Pratt Community College at Lee Doyen Field. Pratt is coming off their first KJCCC series of the season which was a 1-3 weekend against Garden City as the Beavers are now 6-10 overall.