HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Fresh off a four-game conference sweep last weekend, the Cloud County Community College baseball team would be tripped up by a pair of one-run defeats at Hutchinson Community College with a 4-3 series-opening loss followed by a 5-4 loss in game two to drop a doubleheader at Hobart-Detter Field in Hutchinson, Kansas on Thursday, April 14th.
For the second time this year, Cloud County sees a season-long nine-game winning streak snapped and falls to 32-10 overall and 15-7 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College conference as five of their 10 losses overall and four of their seven conference losses have now come by one run. Of those four one-run defeats in conference, three have featured a score of 4-3 as the T-Birds are now 2-5 overall in games decided by one run or fewer. Hutchinson meanwhile improves to 21-16 overall and moves to 11-7 in the KJCCC.
GAME ONE:
Plenty of missed opportunities for CCCC would prove to be problematic as seven stranded runners would loom large in the first one-run loss for Cloud County since March 14th. After seeing neither team put a runner on base in the first, it would be the T-Birds who would have the first opportunity to break through offensively as an infield single from
Danny Infante would put a base runner on with one for CCCC. Cloud County would then get a two-out infield single from
Joel Benes to extend the inning and move a runner into scoring position, but a fly out to right field would end the inning and strand both runners.
A leadoff home run in the bottom of the second for Hutchinson would allow HCC to take their first lead of the day as the Blue Dragons would also get a base-hit single in the inning that would be erased on a stolen-base attempt to end the inning. Cloud County would once again put together a scoring threat in the top of the third as nine-hole hitter
Adler Pierson would lead things off with a single to left field before seeing
Tom Poole draw a two-out walk and
Kolden Howerton get hit by a pitch to load the bases, but a strikeout would strand another three runners as the T-Birds could not find a clutch hit.
Hutchinson would add to their lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the third as the score would sit at 2-0 in favor of the Blue Dragons heading to the fourth despite Cloud County matching HCC in hits through the first three innings. Going down in order in the top of the fourth, CCCC would see a two-run deficit turn into a three-run deficit in the bottom of the fourth as a leadoff double would come around to score on a safety squeeze RBI sacrifice bunt as the T-Birds would be able to strand a Hutchinson base runner in scoring position with an infield pop up to end the inning.
All of the offensive damage for the T-Birds would come as part of a three-run top of the fifth for Cloud County as a throwing error would allow Pierson to reach base for the second time before eventually moving to second on a wild pitch. After a groundout from
Ian Riley would put Pierson 90 feet away from scoring,
Garrett Redden would hit an RBI fielder's choice that would see both runners safely advance after HCC would elect to attempt to cut down Pierson at the plate and have the throw come home late. Reigning KJCCC Player of the Week
Tom Poole would nearly tie things in the next at-bat by hitting a deep ball to dead center field that would hit off the very top of the fence as the base-hit would turn into an RBI triple and put the game-tying run at third for CCCC. Continuing the rally would be Howerton with an RBI single to tie things at 3-3 before seeing a fielder's choice and foul out end the inning.
Working with new life and a tie score, the T-Birds would elect to go to the bullpen as Hutchinson would go down in order with two groundouts and a strikeout. Not much would be doing for Cloud County in the top of the sixth, allowing the Blue Dragons to come back to the plate where they would get their third solo home run of the game to go back out in front by a score of 4-3 and just three outs away from a series-opening victory.
With the top of the order due up in the top of the seventh, CCCC would work around a leadoff groundout to put Redden on base with an infield single before a wild pitch would move the Sealy, Texas native into scoring position and give the T-Birds hope to tie things. After a groundout from Poole would move Redden over to third, the last hope for Cloud County in Howerton would see the game end on a strikeout as the game-tying run would be left 90 feet short of home plate.
Both teams would finish with six hits and one error in the contest as the biggest difference in the game would come from the 7-2 runners left on base that would be to the benefit of Hutchinson. Only one of CCCC's hits would go for extra bases compared to five of Hutchinson's six as only one walk would be issued in the game. The one-run defeat would waste a nine-strikeout performance from the T-Bird pitching staff that saw
Giordano Mezzomo take a no-decision after throwing four innings and striking out seven while Woods would take the loss for the first time this year to fall to 2-1 after allowing one run on two hits and striking out two.
GAME TWO:
Limited offensive chances again would doom Cloud County as six stranded runners and an unearned run caused further issues for CCCC. Putting together an early two-out rally in the top of the first, the T-Birds would see Poole hit a two-out single and steal second to allow Howerton to hit an RBI single and give Cloud County their first lead of the day. The lone run scored by CCCC in the top of the first would wind up being the only run scored by either team through the first three innings of play as Hutchinson would manage to work a two-out rally of their own in the bottom of the fourth to tie things up despite stranded two runners in the inning.
Momentum would flip for the Blue Dragons in the fifth as a one-two-three top half of the inning for Cloud County would allow HCC to come back up to the plate where a two-out double would be followed by a go-ahead RBI single to put Hutchinson up 2-1. More potential danger would loom for the T-Birds as a wild pitch and hit batter would put a second runner on with the middle part of the order due up, but a line out to left field would end the threat and limit the damage to just the one run. The one-run lead for Hutchinson would not last long as sophomore
Joel Benes would knot things up at 2-2 with a solo home run off the scoreboard to hit Cloud County's first home run of the day.
A move to the bullpen by CCCC would allow Hutchinson to take advantage of a leadoff single that would be followed by a bunt single on a sacrifice attempt to move the runner as the first three batters of the inning would safely reach base. Electing to make a second move to the bullpen, Cloud County would be unable to escape the inning unscathed as a go-ahead RBI hit-by-pitch would put the Blue Dragons back out in front before pushing across two more runs on a single and walk to take their largest lead of the game at 5-2.
Needing to come up with more offense to try and chip away at the Blue Dragon lead, Cloud County would get one run back in the top of the seventh in the form of a
Ty Wevers solo home run that would officially knock HCC starter Ben Dandelet from the game. Facing off against a Hutchinson reliever for the first time in the series, the T-Birds would see two quick outs before extending the inning on a Riley base-hit to right field as the Austin, Texas native would wind up stranded at second following an inning-ending groundout.
Getting a one-two-three inning on the defensive end to keep the deficit at two, CCCC would take advantage of a Hutchinson error as Poole would reach base to lead off the top of the eighth before advancing to second on a Benes hit-by-pitch. Pinch-hitting with one-out would be Infante as a groundout to the right side of the infield would advance both runners into scoring position which allowed Poole to score on a wild pitch strike three that allowed Wevers to reach base and extend the inning. Hutchinson would manage to get another strikeout however in the next at-bat which would end the inning and strand the game-tying runner at third with the T-Birds unable to take advantage of a situation that saw the go-ahead run in scoring position.
Keeping the Blue Dragons from adding to their lead in the bottom of the eighth, CCCC would find themselves in the exact same situation as game one facing a one-run deficit with three outs to work with. After seeing Hutchinson turn to their closer, the T-Birds would have Pierson due up to lead off the inning before turning over the top of the order in what would wind up being a one-two-three inning with a strikeout to end the game and hand Cloud County another heartbreaking loss.
The lone T-Bird to finish with multiple hits would be Wevers as the sophomore would go two-for-four with one run scored and a run driven in. The other two RBIs recorded by CCCC would come courtesy of Benes and Howerton as Cloud County would see 10 strikeouts compound the issue of six stranded baserunners.
Using four total pitchers in the game, no T-Bird pitcher would allow more than two runs in the game as starter
Christian Womble would go five innings and strike out nine while allowing just one earned run on five hits. Taking the loss would be
Brady Stuewe after facing three batters and being unable to record an out while
Aaron Hayes (1.0 inning) and
Cole Askew (2.0 innings) would also see time on the mound.
What's Next?
Cloud County will look to take advantage of being back at home to close out the four-game series with Hutchinson when the series resumes at Lee Doyen Field for a 1 PM start on Saturday, April 16th. The T-Birds will be looking to avoid just their second conference-series loss of the year while Hutchinson will be vying for their third conference series victory in their last four series.
