CONCORDIA, Kan. – Holding off a late rally to end the game with the game-tying run at second, the Cloud County Community College softball team would defeat visiting Central Community College by a score of 5-3 before seeing the offense come alive to win by a score of 11-3 in six innings to sweep a non-conference doubleheader at the CCCC Softball Field on Saturday, March 5th.
Ending a seven-game homestand, Cloud County is now off to a 5-2 start on the 2022 season while Central has dropped six straight contests to fall to 4-8 overall.
GAME ONE:
Pitching would highlight the first three innings of the contest as both the T-Birds and Raiders would go down in order in the first as just one hit would be recorded in the first two innings of the game. After a walk and hit batter would put two on for Central in the top of the second, Cloud County would manage to escape without giving up any runs as a fielder's choice, strikeout and pop-out would strand runners at second and third to keep the game scoreless. The T-Birds would strand a runner of their own in the bottom of the second before managing to break through in the third as a leadoff walk and infield single would put two runners on with no outs. Following a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners, Cloud County would attempt a bunt for a base hit and be thrown out but get a clutch hit from
Ryleigh Jones in the next at-bat with an RBI infield single to score
Kelsey Bohnsack.
Turning a double play to erase a leadoff single from Central in the top of the fourth, Cloud County would see their offense start to click in the bottom of the inning as six of the first seven batters of the inning would record base hits. After a
Delaney Exon leadoff double that hit off the top half of the left-field fence, the T-Birds would get a single from
McKenna Mayhew and
Grace Utz RBI single to add to their lead. Bohsack would then deliver an RBI double to the left-center field gap as
Ella Caudill and
Rae Ann Hartwig would follow up with base hit singles of their own.
Shayna Fila and Jones would finish off the hit parade in the inning as both would hit singles to cap off what would become a four-run inning.
Shutting down the Raider offense for another inning of action, Cloud County would be unable to take advantage of the momentum from the fourth as a one-two-three inning would allow Central to regain momentum in the game heading to the sixth. The flip of the script would see the Raiders use a leadoff walk and RBI triple to get on the scoreboard before an RBI sacrifice bunt would drive home a second run as Central would manage to score three runs on three hits despite leaving a runner in scoring position.
Once again, Cloud County would be unable to push across any insurance runs as Central would set down the T-Birds in order for the second-straight inning which would give the Raiders a chance in the top of the seventh down just two runs. A walk to start the inning would be followed by a strikeout and pop-out as it would appear that Cloud County would be able to avoid any potential rally, but the Raiders would not go away quietly. An infield bunt single would put the game-tying run on base and runners on the corners. A stolen base would move the game-tying run into scoring position as a walk then loaded the bases, but another infield pop-out would end the game with the bases loaded and allow Cloud County to secure the win.
Managing to throw a complete game and get the victory in the circle would be freshman
Taylor Dekok who would strike out seven batters and throw 105 total pitches. Allowing just three runs (two earned) on five hits, Dekok would induce nine flyouts and four ground outs to go with the career-best seven strikeouts. Offensively, Cloud County would be led by two-hit performances from Exon and Jones as both would steal a base in the contest. Exon and Bohnsack would be responsible for the two T-Bird extra-base hits in the game with the five RBIs coming from five different players.
GAME TWO:
Following a scoreless first inning, Central would take their first and only lead of the afternoon in the top of the second as a leadoff double, and RBI single would drive in the first run of the game. Cloud County would be unable to respond with anything offensively in the bottom of the second, sending things to the third where the Raiders would strand a pair of runners in what would prove to be a momentum-swinging half-inning. The T-Bird offense would find their groove in the bottom of the third as a leadoff single from
Mia Kelly and two stolen bases would put runners on the corners following a Caudill walk. A sacrifice fly from Exon would drive home Kelly to tie the game at 1-1 as
Shayna Fila would then drive home Caudill with an RBI single to give Cloud County the lead. Back-to-back blasts from Jones and
McKenna Mayhew would provide an additional three runs of offense in the inning as the second homer would knock the Central starting pitcher from the contest and stake the T-Birds to a four-run lead.
Allowing a single run in the top of the fourth, Cloud County would see their lead cut to three at 5-2 heading to the bottom of the fourth as the pendulum would once again swing in favor of the T-Birds with an Exon RBI double and Mayhew two-RBI single proving to be a big response from Cloud County. Refusing to go away quietly, Central would manage to scratch across another single run in the fifth as a two-out rally would see back-to-back singles bring the score to 8-3 and likely put the potential of Cloud County ending the game in the bottom of the fifth no longer an option. The T-Birds would answer with a run of their own in the bottom of the fifth as two singles, a walk, and two fielder's choices would lead to the run with Caudill driving home Dekok to put the lead back at six.
Holding the Raiders to just a two-out walk in the top of the sixth, Cloud County would manage to end things early in the bottom of the sixth as a leadoff bunt single started a four-hit inning which included a game-ending hit from
Grace Utz that would drive home Mayhew to put the T-Birds up eight runs.
The 11-run outing would be the second-most runs that Cloud County has scored this season with the 15 hits setting a new high watermark. Mayhew would lead the way with a three-for-four performance that included four RBIs and one of the four extra-base hits for the T-Birds as Cloud County would manage to strand just four runners in the game. In the circle,
Kyra Meyer would pick up her second win of the year after tossing a complete game and allowing just three runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out six and needing just 81 total pitches. The victory moves the Blue Hill, Nebraska native to 2-1 on the year.
What's Next?
Cloud County will take on a second-straight NJCAA Region IX opponent when they travel to Beatrice, Nebraska to play a 1 PM doubleheader at Southeast Community College on Wednesday, March 9th. Southeast is off to a 1-6 overall start to the year ahead of a pair of scheduled home games against Northeast Community College on Sunday before hosting the T-Birds on Wednesday. Last year, Cloud County swept a home doubleheader by scores of 10-2 and 9-6 last season and has won four of the past five against the Storm.
