NEOSHO, Mo. – An eight-run fourth inning by host and fifth-ranked Crowder College would send the Cloud County Community College baseball team to a 9-6 road loss in game one of a three-game series at Roy Shaver Field in Neosho, Missouri on Saturday, February 18th.
 
Falling to 3-2 overall, Cloud County has now lost two straight games after winning their first three games of 2023 while the Roughriders improve to 6-3 overall with wins in two of their past three games.
 
Two runs would be scored by the T-Birds in the top of the first as a leadoff error and walk would put two CCCC runners aboard for redshirt-sophomore Brock Wollin to hit a two-RBI double to get Cloud County on the board while keeping a runner in scoring position with no outs. After a groundout that would move Wollin to third, Cloud County would be unable to find any more offensive production in their first opportunity at the plate as back-to-back strikeouts would end the inning.
 
Working around a one-out walk in the bottom of the first, the T-Birds would be retired in order in the top of the second before holding Crowder scoreless despite issuing two one-out walks in the inning as the Roughriders would strand three runners through the first two innings of play. With the top of the lineup due up in the top of the third, freshman Paul Schuyler would draw a leadoff walk to set up Danny Infante's third home run of the year with a two-run blast to double the CCCC lead to 4-0. For a third-consecutive inning, Crowder would draw a leadoff walk with the first two batters in the inning being issued a free pass before an infield fly and strikeout putting Cloud County just one out away from getting out of a self-inflicted jam. Just like the prior two innings defensively, CCCC would get out of the jam without any damage done as a fielder's choice would strand two more Roughrider runners and keep the score 4-0 in favor of the T-Birds.
 
Leading off the top of the fourth with a ground-rule double for Cloud County would be Alex Diaz as the sophomore would come around to score two batters later on a Caden Walker sacrifice fly to extend the T-Bird lead to 5-0. Free passes would finally prove costly to CCCC in the bottom of the fifth, however, as four straight walks to begin the inning would put Crowder on the scoreboard while forcing a pitching change for the T-Birds with the bases loaded and still no outs. After a line out to Wollin at third, the Roughriders would get a bases-clearing, three-RBI triple to pull within one of Cloud County before tying things up on the next at-bat with a passed ball. Crowder would continue to stay patient at the plate, drawing a walk and hit batter in addition to three more hits in the inning to send 13 batters to the plate as part of an eight-run inning on four hits to take an 8-5 lead heading to the fifth.
 
Following a Roughrider pitching change, Cloud County would be held hitless in the fifth before working around a two-out single by Crowder to keep the deficit at three. Two walks and a balk for the T-Birds to start the top of the sixth would put two CCCC runners in scoring position before a Walker one-out sacrifice fly would allow both runners to advance with Anthony Taggart coming home to score. Following the sacrifice fly, both Schuyler and Infante would draw walks to load the bases and put the go-ahead run on base before seeing a strikeout strand three T-Birds to keep Crowder out in front.
 
Both the bottom of the sixth and top of the seventh would go scoreless, keeping things at an 8-6 deficit for Cloud County before a leadoff home run for Crowder would allow the Roughriders to get an insurance run heading to the eighth. Another missed opportunity in the top of the eighth by Cloud County would see a two-out rally started with a Walker single followed by back-to-back hit batters to load the bases to force another Roughrider pitching change. After the pitching change, the inning would come to an end on the next at-bat as a strikeout would see CCCC leave the bases loaded for the second time in three innings.
 
Working around a leadoff single to face the minimum in the bottom of the eighth, Cloud County would see the deficit remain at three heading to the top of the ninth while down to their final three outs to try and mount a comeback. After a line out to lead off the inning, Cloud County would turn to a pair of pinch-hitters as a strikeout for the second out of the inning would be followed by a ground-rule double from Aidan Malish to extend the game by one batter for CCCC as a strikeout would ultimately end the game.
 
Drawing eight walks, Cloud County's six runs would come on five hits as the T-Birds would strike out 11 times in the game and strand nine runners. The five hits for CCCC would come from five different players with Infante, Wollin, and Walker each driving in two runs to account for the T-Bird scoring. Taking a no-decision in his second start of the season would be Carson Latimer after throwing three-plus innings and allowing four runs on four hits. Cloud County would also use sophomore Brayden Mackey (0-1) who would throw 0.2 innings and allow four runs on two hits before seeing Lucas O'Keefe toss the final 4.1 innings and allow just one run on five hits while striking out three.
 
What's Next?
Cloud County will conclude their three-game series and five-game weekend on Sunday, February 19th with a 12 PM doubleheader against Crowder. The games will cap off an opening week of the season that will see CCCC play seven games in six days ahead of next weekend's home opener against Marshalltown Community College.