CONCORDIA, Kan. – Erupting for 34 runs over the final seven innings of action in a Sunday doubleheader, the Cloud County Community College baseball team would finish off a four-game sweep of visiting Marshalltown Community College with a 15-5, six-inning win and 22-5, five-inning win at Lee Doyen Field in Concordia, Kansas.
Showing up in a big way offensively to improve to 8-3 overall, CCCC sweeps their home opening series for the second consecutive year while sending Marshalltown to an 0-8 overall record after two weeks of play against Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference schools.
GAME ONE:
Limited to just three runs in a 3-1 win over the Tigers in the back end of the series-opening doubleheader on Saturday, Cloud County would see a stagnant offense carry over into the first game of Sunday's action as Marshalltown would be able to take advantage leadoff walk in the top of the first to plate a run before scoring two more in the top of the third on two hits and an error to take a 3-0 lead on CCCC. The lead for MCC would be the first of the weekend for the Tigers as Cloud County would strand base-hit singles in each of the first two innings before breaking through in the bottom of the third with three-consecutive hits to start the inning as
Karson Green and Alex Diaz would each record singles to set up a
Caden Walker RBI double into the right-center field gap. Demitri Shakoto would follow up with an RBI groundout to move both Diaz and Walker up 90 feet before seeing
Danny Infante tie the game on a sacrifice fly as the T-Birds would erase the deficit entirely.
Following suit to CCCC's offensive inning in the bottom of the third, Marshalltown would bounce right back with a one-out rally that would see an infield single and walk put two runners on for the Tigers and force a T-Bird pitching change. After a strikeout would threaten to allow Cloud County to escape the jam unscathed, a walk to load the bases would be followed by a two-RBI single to put Marshalltown back up by a 5-3 score while leaving two runners stranded.
The two-run lead for the Tigers would hold throughout the rest of the fourth and into the fifth as both teams would go scoreless in their ensuing at-bats before seeing the T-Bird offense finally awaken to break the game open. Making the most of a hit batter and walk to put the first two runners of the inning aboard, Cloud County would three-straight base hits lead to three runs coming around to score with
Brock Wollin,
Justin Johnson, and
Kolden Howerton all driving in a run each. Following back-to-back walks to load the bases, Walker would add to the CCCC lead with a two-RBI single before a balk would bring home another run as Marshalltown would see the game start to slip away from them. Holding a 10-5 lead, Cloud County would go on to score another three runs in the inning to finish off a 10-run fifth that would come on five hits and one Tiger error.
With momentum fully in favor of the T-Birds, CCCC would get a quick one-two-three inning in the top of the sixth and waste little time in their end of the inning by getting a one-out single from
Landon Meyer before taking advantage of a fielding error and balk to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Making the most of the opportunity, Diaz would drive both runners in on a game-ending two-RBI double as the 10-run lead would give CCCC their first series win of the year.
To th
Pounding out 13 hits in the game, Cloud County would have five different players finish with two hits each as Wollin and Walker would each drive in three runs to provide six of CCCC's 13 RBI. Limiting their strikeouts to just four in the contest, the T-Birds would strand just four runners on base while drawing five walks and having two batters get hit by pitches. Using a trio of pitchers, starter Phil Brennamen would take a no-decision after throwing 3.1 innings and allowing three runs on five hits while striking out two.
Lucas O'Keefe would come in relief to close out the rest of the fourth and allow one hit before turning things over to
Luke Schmedding in the fifth and sixth as the Overland Park, Kansas native would earn his first pitching victory of the season.
GAME TWO:
There would be no playing from behind in the series finale for CCCC as the T-Birds would make a quick one-two-three top of the first lead to a continuation of an offense that had found its groove by sending 14 batters to the plate and pounding out eight hits while taking advantage of two errors to produce their second 10-run inning of the day. In the bottom of the first, four of Cloud County's eight hits would go for extra bases with Howerton,
Aidan Malish,
Gavin Roy, and Infante all driving in a pair of runs. Working around a two-out hit in the top of the second, the T-Birds would continue to add to their already commanding lead with three hits and another Tiger error leading to four more runs with Walker driving in two on a triple into right field.
Finding trouble in the top of the third, CCCC would see three walks allow Marshalltown to load the bases with two outs but ultimately hold MCC scoreless after a strikeout to end the inning and get out of the jam. Still not done on offense, a one-out walk and hit batter for Cloud County in the bottom of the third would set up what would become a seven-run inning for the T-Birds with a two-RBI triple from
Demitri Shakotko and
Jarek Braden Grand slam highlighting another big inning offensively.
Holding a 21-0 lead and needing just six outs to close out a series sweep, Cloud County would work around a leadoff walk in the fourth before tacking one final run offensively to get to the top of the fifth. Avoiding a shutout, Marshalltown would manage to come alive offensively in their final opportunity at the plate with a leadoff infield single and one-out walk setting up the first run of the game for the Tigers on an RBI double. Following a hit batter that would load the bases, the T-Birds would make one final call to the bullpen to try and record the final two outs of the game. Former T-Bird
Ryan Gouldin would make the most of his final at-bat in the series by blasting a grand slam over the left field fence to account for four of MCC's five runs in the game as the Tigers would be unable to find any more offense and see the game end on a strikeout swinging.
Recording a season-high in hits with 14, eight of Cloud County's hits would go for extra bases with all eight of the extra-base hits coming from different players. In total, 11 different T-Birds would record at least one hit in the contest to go along with seven free passes and five hit batters. After striking out 28 batters in yesterday's doubleheader sweep, the CCCC pitching staff would once again have a big game on the mound as 12 of the 15 outs recorded defensively by Cloud County would come by strikeout with
Cayden Castellanos,
Brayden Mackey, and
Scott Rienguette all finishing with three strikeouts each.
What's Next?
The final week prior to the start of KJCCC action will see Cloud County play a four-game split series with number 18 nationally-ranked Johnson County Community College beginning with a 1 PM doubleheader at Lee Doyen Field on Thursday, March 2nd. The T-Birds will then travel to Overland Park for a 1 PM doubleheader on Saturday, March 4th as the two teams will face off for the first time since JCCC ended CCCC's season in the NJCAA Plains District Tournament a year ago after splitting a non-conference doubleheader in Overland Park in the regular season.
