IOLA, Kan. – Grabbing an early 3-2 lead after an inning of play, the Cloud County Community College softball team would see host Allen County Community College score six runs over the course of the fifth and sixth innings as the T-Birds would drop a road doubleheader by scores of 8-6 and 4-0 in Iola, Kansas on Monday, May 3rd.

Dropping to 7-25 overall, Cloud County is now 2-24 in Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference play while the host Red Devils improved to 11-28 overall and 6-18 in league action.

Game One:
A leadoff walk and RBI double off the bat of freshman Shayna Fila would get the T-Birds going in the top of the first as four of the first five batters would safely reach base. In total in the inning, Cloud County would score three runs as two more would come across on a Rae Ann Hartwig two-RBI single to give CCCC a 3-0 lead after half an inning of play.

The Red Devils would respond with two runs of their own as a leadoff walk followed by a one-out single and two-RBI double would bring ACCC back within a run. Cloud County would then put a pair of runners on in the top of the second but be unable to convert on the opportunity as an infield pop out would end the inning with runners at second and third. Things would remain one-run CCCC lead after two as Cloud County would return the favor in the bottom of the second by stranding a leadoff single for Allen County.

A scoreless third inning would send things to the fourth where the T-Birds would be able to add to their lead with a one-out double from Kayla Lee and a two-out double from Taylor Glause as Glause would come around to score later in the inning. Allen County would then put together a prime opportunity to get back in the game by putting together a two-out rally in the bottom of the inning to load the bases but wind up hitting into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

Having avoided a Red Devil rally in the fourth, Cloud County would not be as fortunate in the fifth as ACCC would put together another two-out rally that would see four consecutive singles produce three runs in the inning and pull even with the T-Birds at 5-5. CCCC would reclaim the lead as Lee would get on with a single and move her way over to third on a stolen base and bunt from Fila before coming home on a wild pitch to give Cloud County a 6-5 lead.

It would be a short-lived lead for the T-Birds as the bottom of the sixth would see Allen County take advantage of a CCCC error that would lead to three unearned runs with the final two runs coming on a home run with two outs in the inning. Cloud County would manage to keep the deficit at just two however after getting the Red Devils to strand runners at first and second and still have a chance to mount a comeback in the seventh. The potential rally and comeback would not be in the cards however as
Allen would work around a one-out single to get a fielder's choice and flyout to end the game and preserve a two-run victory.

12 hits in the game for Cloud County would come courtesy of eight different players as four different T-Birds would have two hits in the game. Hartwig would account for two of CCCC's three RBIs in the contest while all three of Cloud County's extra-base hits would go for doubles.

Game Two:
It would be a much different story in game two as offense would be hard to come by for CCCC with the T-Birds being held hitless through the first three innings of play and recording just one hit in the first five innings of action. Despite the offensive struggles, Cloud county would manage to keep the Red Evils off the board until the bottom of the third when a leadoff triple would set up a sacrifice fly opportunity later in the inning to break what was a scoreless game.

Allen County would then add to their lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth before a second run in the inning would come home on another sacrifice fly as the game would become a 3-0 ACCC lead heading to the fifth. With still nothing working offensively for the T-Birds, Allen would tack on one more run with a leadoff homer in the inning as Cloud County would be unable to put together any significant chance at mounting a comeback.

The four hits in the contest for CCCC would come off the bat of Fila, Hartwig, Taylor Burks, and Kyra Meyer as the T-Birds would be held without an extra-base hit. Meyer would also add the only walk of the game for Cloud County as the T-Birds would strikeout four times and strand all five base runners.

What's Next?
The final home doubleheader of the season will take place on Thursday, May 6th as the T-Birds will play host to Coffeyville Community College at 2 p.m. Five T-Birds (Kayla Lee, Delaney Miller, Brynn Riley, Taylor Burks, and Emily Dunaway) will be playing in the final home games of their careers as a sophomore day recognition will take place prior to game one.