CONCORDIA, Kan. – Plenty of excitement would be had on Thursday afternoon at the CCCC Softball Field as the Cloud County Community College softball team would walk off visiting Allen County Community College not once, but twice to earn a home sweep over the Red Devils by scores of 8-7 in extra-innings and 6-5.
Earning their first two Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference victories of the year, Cloud County improves to 12-13 overall and 2-8 in the KJCCC while Allen County falls to 9-15 overall and 4-6 in conference action.
GAME ONE:
Runs would be scored by at least one team in seven of the eight innings played in the contest with both the T-Birds and Red Devils both scoring in the first as ACCC would strike for a run on three hits in the top of the first before seeing CCCC come back with two hits and two walks to plate two runs on a
Delaney Exon two-RBI single into center field. Allen would then respond with two runs in the top of the second as a two-out rally would be started on an RBI double after the leadoff batter in the inning would reach on a hit-by-pitch as back-to-back hits would drive in runs and allow the Red Devils to re-take the lead.
Things would remain a 3-2 ACCC lead until the top of the fourth as the Red Devils would be able to put together yet another two-out rally as a fielding error on CCCC would allow two unearned runs to come across and put Cloud County in a 5-2 hole. With the T-Birds stranding a runner in the bottom of the second, third, and fourth innings, CCCC would finally be able to break through in the bottom of the fifth as a leadoff bunt single from sophomore
Shayna Fila would begin what would become a three-hit inning with three runs coming across to tie the game at 5-5. Following Fila's bunt single,
Ryleigh Jones would collect a one-out single before seeing Exon walk with two outs to load the bases for
Kelsey Bohnsack who would place a ball through the right side of the infield that would reach the outfield fence and be a bases-clearing triple for the Gering, Nebraska native.
Having put together a strong inning in the bottom of the fifth, Cloud County would be able to use the momentum to hold Allen County scoreless in the top of the sixth before turning a leadoff walk from
Zoie Kincade into a go-ahead run as a wild pitch and stolen base by pinch-runner
Alexis Billings would turn into a run on a throwing error from the Red Devil catcher.
Ella Caudill would then connect on a triple in similar fashion to Bohnsack's to put another runner in scoring position before eventually scoring on a Fila RBI groundout to give CCCC two insurance runs to work with in the top of the seventh.
ACCC would not go down quietly, however, managing to turn a one-out single and hit-by-pitch into a scoring opportunity as a fielder's choice would put the Red Devils down to their final out with runners on the corners. A stolen base would move the game-tying run into scoring position while bringing home a run on a delayed steal from third to cut the lead in half. Another RBI single would tie things up at 7-7 as Allen would once again have life after stranding the e game-winning runner for CCCC in the bottom of the seventh.
Playing extra-innings for the first time all year, the moment would not be too big for the T-Birds as a two-out single from Allen County would be stranded to send things to the bottom of the eighth where Kincade would lead things off with an infield single to shortstop. A fielder's choice from Caudill would eliminate Kincade on the base paths but still keep the game-winning run on base as Fila would hit a single to left field to extend bring up Hartwig who would hit into the second fielder's choice of the inning. Down to their last out in the inning, Jones would hit a ball to right field that would appear to be the final out of the inning before seeing the ball pop in and out of the fielder's glove as Fila would come around to score and the game a Cloud County winner.
A three-hit game from Fila would lead the T-Birds offensively as the Grand Island, Nebraska native also added an RBI while Bohnsack would put together two hits in four at-bats with a game-high three runs driven in. Cloud County would also manage to draw five walks and one hit batter to overcome two unearned runs in the game. Both
Kyra Meyer (4-7) and
Taylor Dekok would see action in the circle, with Meyer tossing 6.2 innings split between time by Dekok who started the fifth inning and tossed 1.1 scoreless innings.
GAME TWO:
A much different start to game two would still have the same ending for CCCC as the T-Birds would trail for just half an inning of the contest and lead from the bottom of the first all the way to the top of the seventh as a run would be scored by Allen on a sacrifice fly in the top of the first before seeing Cloud County respond with two RBI hits and a walk to take a 2-1 lead heading into the second. Things would remain a one-run game heading to the third after seeing both teams strand a runner in their respective half of the second before seeing the T-Birds add to their lead by taking advantage of an obstruction call on a stolen base attempt that would turn into a run on an RBI single from Exon before having Kincade hit an RBI groundout later on in the inning.
With the lead now sitting at 4-1, CCCC would again add to their total with a run in the bottom of the fourth with Exon again coming through with an RBI base hit to score Fila. The Red Devils would cut the four-run deficit in half in the top of the sixth as back-to-back base hits to begin the inning would put runners at second and third with no outs to set up a sacrifice bunt to bring home a run and move the other runner to third. A pinch-hit RBI groundout would bring home the other run in the inning as Cloud County would manage to limit the damage to just the two runs but be unable to get anything going in the bottom of the sixth as a one-two-three inning would send things to the seventh.
Just three outs away from earning the sweep, CCCC would again see Allen County refuse to go away quietly as a walk and single would put the game-tying run on board with no outs. After a fly-out would put an out on the board, the Red Devils would catch the break they needed as a fielding error would allow two runs to come home and put a potential go-ahead run just 60 feet away from scoring. Cloud County would respond by inducing an infield pop out and fly out to center field to end the inning and strand the runner and keep from seeing what was a four-run lead at one point turn into a deficit.
As the potential for a second game featuring extra-inning would begin to look likely after a strikeout to begin the inning, Cloud County would get an Exon single before seeing the Red Devils return the favor on the defensive end as a dropped throw on a fielder's choice would put two runners on with just one out. Having the game-winning run in scoring position would set up an opportunity for the T-Birds that would be quieted following a strikeout that would put a second out on the board, but a single from Kincade through the right side of the infield would get deep enough into the outfield grass to allow Exon to race around third and score to give Cloud County a second-straight walk-off win.
Matching their offensive hit total from game one, CCCC would finish with 10 hits despite striking out 10 times as Exon would go three-for-four while
Grace Utz would collect two hits in three at-bats. Just two of the 10 hits would go for extra bases as the T-Birds would find a way to string together hits when needed most while also taking advantage of two Allen County errors that would lead to three unearned runs and the difference in the game.
Going the distance in the circle for her sixth win of the year would be Dekok who would throw a total of 117 pitches and allow five runs (three earned) on seven hits while striking out seven. Only two of the seven hits would go for extra bases as the Topeka, KS native would strand five ACCC runners and issue just one walk.
What's Next?
Cloud County is on the road for a 2 PM doubleheader at Labette Community College on Saturday, April 2nd as eight of the next 10 contests for CCCC will come away from home. The Cardinals are 6-12 overall and 4-4 in the KJCCC with scores from a road doubleheader at Hesston College on Thursday not available at the time of this release.
