SALINA, Kan. – Scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth to break a 4-4 tie in game one as part of a 7-4 win, the Cloud County Community College softball team would only need five innings in game two to take an 11-3 decision and sweep Northwest Kansas Technical College in non-conference action at Salina South High School in Salina, Kansas on Sunday, March 13th.
Bouncing back from Tuesday's road defeats in their first games of the season away from home, the T-Birds improve to 7-4 overall with the victories while the Mavericks fall to 2-15 overall on the year.
GAME ONE:
Allowing a base runner in the top of the first on a catcher's interference, Cloud County would manage to get out of the inning unscathed before putting together a one-out rally with a
Shayna Fila single and
Ryleigh Jones walk putting two runners aboard for clean up hitter
Delaney Exon. Exon would connect on an RBI single to bring home Fila and move Jones to second as a double steal would put two runners in scoring position for a sacrifice bunt from
Zoie Kincade to bring home Jones and put the T-Birds up 2-0 heading to the second.
CCCC would have to work around more potential damage in the top half of the next inning as a hit batter and throwing error would put two runners on followed by a wild pitch that allowed the game-tying runner to move into scoring position. Starting pitcher
Kyra Meyer would have the right combination of pitches however to induce a pair of ground outs as the runners would be left stranded to end the inning. Getting a walk of their own in the bottom of the second, Cloud County would take advantage of a passed ball and wild pitch to put freshman
Grace Utz 60 feet from scoring as a
Kelsey Bohnsack walk would put a second runner on base with no outs. Northwest Tech would manage to limit the offensive opportunity from the T-Birds however as a wild pitch would lead to another run for CCCC to make it 3-0 after two innings of action.
Putting up another scoreless frame in the top of the third, CCCC would add to their lead in the bottom of the inning as a leadoff walk once again would come around to score with a dropped third strike forcing a throw down to first to complete the out and allow aggressive base running from Jones to lead to a fourth run. Things would then remain a 4-0 Cloud County lead after the fourth inning as neither team would be able to produce a run with the Mavericks only able to produce three hits through the first four innings. A big top of the fifth however would allow NWKT to get right back in the contest however as a walk and infield single started up what would become a three-run inning for the Mavericks as the three runs would come on three hits and allow Northwest Tech to pull back within one.
Cloud County would see an opportunity for a response in the bottom of the fifth go to waste as an Exon one-out single would be stranded at second with each of the next two batters going down in order as the Mavericks would continue to shift momentum. Northwest Tech would then turn a one-out single and two-out infield single into a rally that would produce one run on yet another infield single as only one of the three hits in the inning would get into the outfield. With the score now tied 4-4, Cloud County would finally be able to put together a response as a two-out rally would be started by a walk from nine-hole hitter
Alexis Billings to flip the lineup over to Hartwig who would score the Wamego, Kansas native after a stolen base put the freshman in scoring position. On the RBI single by Hartwig, a throw to the plate would move the Adams, Nebraska native into scoring position as the throw would reach the backstop and allow Hartwig to move to third with the inning extended on a fielding error on the next at-bat to allow Hartwig to score.
CCCC would go on to add on one more insurance run to finish off a three-run inning on two hits and two errors to go up 7-4 needing just three outs to earn a game-one victory. With momentum back in their favor following the three-run bottom of the sixth, Cloud County would waste no time closing things out as a groundout, pop out, and fly out would come along with a one-out double as Northwest Tech never would see the potential game-tying run reach the plate.
Despite being held to just six hits in the contest, Cloud County would find a way to manufacture runs by taking advantage of six free passes and three Maverick errors as only Exon would finish with multiple hits in the game for CCCC (three-for-four). Exon would also drive in two of the four T-Bird RBIs and steal a base for Cloud County in the game. Meyer would toss her fourth complete game of the year by allowing four runs on 10 hits and recording two strikeouts to improve to 3-2 on the year.
GAME TWO:
Unable to jump out to an early first-inning lead like in game one, Cloud County would have to wait until the bottom of the second to push across any runs in the back end of the twin bill neither team would have much going for them offensively in the opening inning of the game. The wait for the T-Birds would be worth it however as 10 batters would be sent to the plate in the bottom of the second with a leadoff single from Exon and throwing error on a sacrifice bunt pushing across the opening run of the game and setting off what would become a six-run inning on just three hits.
Taylor Dekok and Fila would also record hits in the inning with
Ella Caudill drawing a walk and Hartwig getting hit by a pitch to find additional ways to produce offense for CCCC.
Northwest Tech would get one run back in the top of the third with a leadoff double eventually coming around to score on an RBI groundout before seeing a second hit in the inning get stranded. Cloud County would have a response of their own in the bottom of the third as a hit batter and base-hit single from Dekok would put runners in scoring position for an RBI groundout from Billings as NWKT would elect to trade the run for the out. Caudill would then come through with an RBI single to bring home another run as the T-Birds would take an 8-1 lead into the fourth.
Both teams would find a way to manufacture a run in the fourth inning to make it 9-2 heading to the top of the fifth as CCCC would enter the inning need just one run to end things early by going up eight runs. Northwest Tech would be determined to try and now allow that to happen as a fielding error and two stolen bases would set up an RBI single on a pop up that would find its way just inside the right-field foul line past the first-base bag to give the Mavericks a third run to make it a six-run contest. A stolen base and walk would see NWKT put runners at first and second, but a fly out to left field would allow CCCC to escape without any further damage and put a potential run-rule victory just two runs away.
Three batters are all that it would take for Cloud County in the bottom of the fifth as a bunt single from Billings would see a throwing error allow her to take third as no Maverick player would be covering the bag at the time of the throw that ended up in the right-field foul territory. Caudill would then come through with a second RBI single in the game with a fielding error from Northwest Tech putting the Topeka, Kansas native in scoring position. With the defensive miscues starting to mount up, the T-Birds would get aggressive on the base paths with an infield single to second base by
Mia Kelly turn into an attempt to take second from the freshman. NWKT would be slow to make a play at the bag as the throw would eventually come in late with the attempt to make a play at second allowing Caudill to come home after advancing to third on the initial play with the run proving to be a game-ending run.
Making the most of their runners on base, Cloud County would strand just three runners total in game two with 10 hits making up for just one walk and two hit batters. Fila, Dekok, and Caudill would account for six of the 10 T-Bird hits to go along with three of the seven RBIs by CCCC players in addition to seeing Cloud County strike out just once. Dekok would also have a strong outing in the circle, improving to 3-2 after twirling a complete game and allowing just two runs (one earned) on 91 total pitches.
What's Next?
Cloud County is back at home Tuesday and will look to avenge last week's losses to Southeast Community College with a 2 PM doubleheader at the CCCC Softball Field. The games will be the final games for the T-Birds prior to the start of Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference play, which will get underway on Thursday for CCCC. Southeast has not played since the games against Cloud County but will take on Highland Community College in a neutral-site doubleheader on Monday afternoon before coming to Concordia on Tuesday while currently sporting a 4-6 overall record.
