CONCORDIA, Kan. – A mid-week doubleheader to open an eight-game home stand over the next 11 days would see the Cloud County Community College softball team manage to avenge a 13-5 loss to Central Community College by earning a 7-6, six-inning victory to split the day at the CCCC Softball Field in Concordia, Kansas on Wednesday, March 1st.
Getting back into the win column for the third time this season, CCCC is now 3-5 overall while the Raiders move to 3-4 overall through seven games.
GAME ONE:
Defensive woes and missed opportunities would be the story of the game for the T-Birds as three errors on the defensive end would lead to five unearned runs to go along with 14 stranded base runners on the offensive end to lead to an eight-run loss. Taking an early 1-0 lead after an inning of play off a
Kaitlynn Baca RBI single to score
Ryleigh Jones, Cloud County would see two errors and three hits in the top of the second lead to a six-run inning for the Raiders with five of the six runs coming as unearned runs. Four of the six runs for Central would come on back-to-back two-out hits with a two-RBI double with the bases loaded coming before a two-run home run to turn a 2-1 Raider lead into a 6-1 lead.
Getting two runs back in the bottom of the second, Cloud County would take advantage of two Central errors along with a hit batter and Jones RBI single to get back within three at 6-3. The lone run would prove to be costly in terms of momentum as CCCC would leave the bases loaded to end the inning before doing so again in the third and fourth innings to strand nine runners ruing the stretch. A lead-off home run for the Raiders in the top of the fifth would be part of a four-hit inning that would lead to two runs for Central as the deficit for Cloud County would grow back five after numerous chances to cut the deficit. Adding two runs in the sixth, the Raiders would also plate three runs in the top of the seventh while allowing a pair of T-Bird runs in the bottom of the sixth to match their largest victory of the year.
Accounting for five of Cloud County's nine hits in the game would be Jones (three-for-four) and
McKenna Mayhew (two-for-four) while also drawing a walk each as part of seven free passes issued to the T-Birds. None of CCCC's seven hits would go for extra bases compared to four of the 11 hits for Central while seeing just six total strikeouts in the game (four for Cloud County, two for Central).
A total of three pitchers would be used by the T-Birds with
Jayden Rehlander taking the loss after throwing three innings and allowing six runs (one earned) on five hits while walking two and striking out one before seeing
Kiera Brack throw two innings of work in relief.
Lynsey Stewart would also see time in the circle for the Cloud County, throwing two innings and giving up three total hits.
GAME TWO:
Things would be much tighter and considerably more competitive in game two as neither team would lead by more than two runs in a contest that saw four lead changes and two ties. Working around a leadoff base runner that would reach on an error and get stranded at third, Cloud County would be unable to do anything in the fist but manage to make the most of a leadoff Mayhew triple to score the first run of the game on a
Hannah Hotalen RBI single. Central would answer right back in the top of the third with a two-out triple before tying the game on a wild pitch in the next at-bat before ultimately stranding a runner at first.
The Raiders would add two more runs in the to of the fourth to take their first lead of the game on a two-RBI double following a pair of walks to go up 3-1 momentarily as Cloud County would see Mayhew manage to reach base safely to lead off the bottom of the inning and come around to score on a Rehlander RBI single. It would be Mayhew once again the bottom of the fifth as a go-ahead two-RBI triple to score
Emily Kvasnicka and Jones would put CCCC out in front once again by a 4-3 margin with clutch hits finally being found after the struggles that occurred in game one.
With darkness beginning to set in and the game having reached the minimum length of five innings, an agreement would be had by both coaches to make an attempt to play one more inning and have the game finish following the end of the sixth. In what would be the wildest inning of the game, Central would see each of the first four batters in the top half of the inning safely reach base with three singles and a walk leading to a pair of runs to take a 5-4 lead before a sacrifice fly to go up two. A bunt groundout and runner being out of the baseline would then end the top of the inning to allow Cloud County to get back to the plate while needing two runs to try and tie the game before darkness would no longer allow competition to be completed.
Following a flyout to begin the inning, CCCC would see starting pitcher
Taylor Dekok draw a leadoff walk before a
Brooklynn McCormick single through the left side of the infield bring the game-winning run to the plate in leadoff batter Jones. Driving a pitch into center field that would hit off the fence, Jones would bring the T-Birds within one as part of an RBI double before seeing a fielder's choice by
Kaitlynn Baca tie things at 6-6. Cloud County would need just one more batter as Kvasnicka would hit a walk-off RBI single into left field as the T-Birds would complete their first comeback victory of the year and salvage a split of the day.
Putting together a 12-hit performance, CCCC would see both Mayhew and Jones finish with three hits each to cap off big days as the plate with Mayhew driving in a team-best two runs and also scoring twice. The T-Birds would also get two-hit performances from Kvasnicka and McCormick while Rehlander and Hotalen would record the remaining two hits. Going the distance in the circle would be Dekok, striking out four and allowing six runs on eight hits to pick up the win.
What's Next?
Cloud County will conclude their week with an 11 AM home doubleheader against Iowa Lakes Community College as the T-Birds will take on the Lakers for the first time since the COVID-shortened 2020 season. ILCC will open their 2023 campaign this weekend beginning on Friday with four games scheduled against Southeast Community College in Beatrice, Nebraska before making the trip to Concordia for Sunday's games.
