HIGHLAND, Kan. – Overcoming an early 2-0 deficit, the Cloud County Community College baseball team would score in each of the final seven innings of play to take a 10-7 decision over Highland Community College at the Highland Community Ball Park in Highland, Kansas on Tuesday, April 27th.

The win allows Cloud County to improve to 25-16 overall as the T-Birds are 11-6 in non-conference action with one final non-conference game remaining next Tuesday. Highland falls to 7-25 overall with the loss and have now lost 12 of their last 13 games.

Stranding a runner in the top of the first, Cloud County would see the Scotties push across a pair of runs in the bottom of the opening inning as a T-Bird error would prove costly in the inning. CCCC would then leave the bases loaded to end the top of the second as things would remain a 2-0 HCC lead heading to the top of the third.

A solo home run from Williams Camacho-Soto would get Cloud County on the board in the top of the third as the Highland lead would be cut in half to 2-1 heading into the bottom of the third inning. A quick one-two-three inning from starting pitcher Liam Bates would allow CCCC to get back up to the plate where the T-Birds would work a two-out single and hit batter to go along with a wild pitch and passed ball to push across a run and tie things up at 2-2.

With the game tied up in the fifth, Cloud County would take their first lead of the day on a Garrett Redden two-run homer to make it 4-2. After allowing the first two batters of the bottom of the fifth to reach base, the T-Birds would turn a much-needed double-play to nearly get out of the jam as a walk and strikeout would end the inning with another zero being put on the board.

Outfielder Noah Olson would make it a 5-2 CCCC lead in the sixth with a sacrifice fly to score Adler Pierson as Cloud County would make it five unanswered against the Scotties. Two hit batters and a wild pitch would put a pair of runners in scoring position in the seventh as another sacrifice fly would allow the T-Birds to go up 6-2 before adding two more in the eighth.

Highland would attempt to make things interesting in the bottom of the eighth as the 8-2 CCCC lead would be cut in half with the first three batters of the inning safely reaching base and an error once again coming back to hurt the T-Birds. Cloud County would get a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth with RBI doubles from Olson and Camacho-Soto as the runs would be a welcomed addition to the lead.

The final three outs of the game would prove to be anything but easy for Cloud County to record as a leadoff home run and back-to-back doubles would put the game-tying run on deck with still nobody out. Turning to closer Rans Sanders, Cloud County would get two strikeouts and a sacrifice fly to end the game and hang on for a three-run victory.

Drawing nine walks as a team, Cloud County would record 10 hits and have three players hit by a pitch to see nine batters safely reach base. Camacho-Soto would lead the T-Birds with a three-hit, three-RBI performance while also scoring twice while Jacob Shaw would also register multiple hits. Five different pitchers would be used int eh contest by CCCC, including Sanders who earned his sixth save of the year.

What's Next?
Cloud County returns to Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference West Division action on Thursday, April 29th with a 1 p.m. home doubleheader against Dodge City Community College. The Conquistadors dropped a road doubleheader at Northwestern Oklahoma State JV on Tuesday and will enter Thursday's games with a 19-22 overall record.