CONCORDIA, Kan. – Early deficits and big-innings by visiting Fort Scott Community College would spoil a day of celebration on sophomore day for the Cloud County Community College softball team following a 12-3 and 16-7 defeat at the CCCC Softball Field in Concordia, Kansas on Sunday, April 24th.
 
Falling to 16-26 overall, Cloud County is now 5-18 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference while Fort Scott improves to 9-25 overall and 5-17 in the KJCCC.
 
GAME ONE:
Allowing two runs in the top of the first with one run coming on an error, Cloud County would see a leadoff double get erased on a double play and be able to only send the minimum to the plate through three innings of play. With things still at a 2-0 deficit heading into the top of the third, the Greyhounds would manage to take advantage of back-to-back singles to begin the inning and another fielding error by CCCC to double their lead with two runs on three hits.
 
Things would come apart for Cloud County in the top of the fourth as a leadoff single and one-out walk would be followed by another walk to load the bases with the three-hole hitter due up. A two-RBI single and error would put two runners in scoring position with just one out as the lead for FSCC would continue to balloon with four more runs coming home in the inning as part of a six-run inning to put things at a 10-0 Fort Scott lead.
 
With the offensive lineup able to get a second look at the Greyhound starting pitcher, freshman Ryleigh Jones would collect her second hit of the game with a leadoff single before seeing sophomore Delaney Exon hit a two-run home run to get the T-Birds on the board. McKenna Mayhew would then follow up Exon's homer with an infield single before seeing the final two batters of the inning go down in order to end the potential rally.
 
Facing a minimum of an eight-run deficit and needing to score in the bottom of the fifth to extend the game, Cloud County would see FSCC hit back-to-back doubles to start the fifth with a run coming home and a second potential run just 60 feet away from scoring following a wild pitch. After a walk would be erased trying to take second with the T-Birds trying to regroup following the walk, another fielding error by CCCC would lead to yet another unearned run that put Fort Scott back up by 10 runs. One last final opportunity for Cloud County to extend the game in the bottom of the fifth would see a throwing error allow freshman Zoie Kincade to reach base as sophomore Ella Caudill would hit into a fielder's choice to keep a runner on base with two outs. Capping off a perfect three-for-three game at the plate, Jones would drive home Caudill with an RBI double into the right-center field gap as CCCC would be unable to add any more offense with a strikeout ending the game.
 
GAME TWO:  
Trying to have a short memory and salvaging a split of the doubleheader, Cloud County would be able to grab their first and only lead of the day in the bottom of the first of game one as an infield single from Mia Kelly would lead to a run after a stolen base and advancement on a wild pitch lead to a throwing error on the Greyhound catcher to bring home the Topeka, Kansas native.
 
A leadoff home run by Fort Scott in the top of the second turned a 1-0 T-Bird lead into a tie ball game as each of the first three batters for FSCC would safely reach base with three hits leading to a three-run inning for the Greyhounds to take a 3-1 lead. In similar fashion to game one, a crooked number put up by Fort Scott in the middle innings would see two errors and three hits lead to a six-run inning for the Greyhounds as a two-run deficit would suddenly turn into an eight-run deficit for CCCC. Trying to answer with a rally of their own, Cloud County would get a pair of singles from Jones and Kelly to lead off the bottom of the third as Exon would bring home Jones with an RBI single followed by a Taylor Dekok sacrifice fly to cap off a two-run inning for the T-Birds.
 
Unfortunately for CCCC, Fort Scott would have another answer in the top of the fourth as a walk and hit batter would prove costly and lead to a three-run inning for the Greyhounds with all three hits not leaving the infield. Getting back one run in the bottom of the fourth, A Shayna Fila one-out single would come around to score on an RBI triple from Caudill to force a pitching change for FSCC as the T-Birds would again face an eight-run deficit heading into the top of the fifth.
 
A wild fifth inning would see five combined errors be part of seven runs getting scored as Fort Scott would take advantage of a walk and fielding error to begin the top of the fifth and score three unearned runs as part of a four-run inning to take their largest lead of the day at 16-4. Refusing to go down without a fight, Cloud County would get two one-out singles from Dekok and Mayhew to put a pair of runners on for Rae Ann Hartwig to hit an RBI single with two outs that would be followed by back-to-back errors on the Greyhounds to bring home two more runs and put the game-extending run at first. Following another pitching change for Fort Scott, a fielder's choice would end the game as interference would be called on the T-Bird runner trying to advance to third.
 
What's Next?
Six of Cloud County's final eight games of the season will come away from home with a six-game road trip beginning on Wednesday, April 27th with a 2 PM doubleheader at Independence Community College. Independence split a road doubleheader at Hesston College on Saturday afternoon to move to 11-31 overall and 4-18 in the KJCCC and will be off until they host the T-Birds on Wednesday.