PRATT, Kan. – Continuing their recent run of strong play by scoring 28 runs over the course of two games, the Cloud County Community College softball team would sweep a non-conference road doubleheader from Pratt by scores of 11-1 and 17-9 at Lemon Park in Pratt, Kansas on Monday, April 3rd.
Winners of eight of their past 9 games, Cloud County improves to 12-14 overall on the year while Pratt slips to 3-33 overall.
GAME ONE:
After being held hitless in the opening inning of the game, the T-Birds would put together a three-hit inning in the top of the second to go along with a walk and fielding error that would allow an unearned run to come home as CCCC would jump out to a 3-0 lead with
Mia Kelly driving in a pair of runs on a two-RBI triple. Pratt would get a run back in the bottom of the second with a pair of one-out hits before a sacrifice fly that would wind up ending the inning on a double play after the trailing base runner would try to take third base on the throw home before being tagged out at third.
Things would start to come together in the top of the third for the Cloud County offense as a leadoff walk for
McKenna Mayhew would be followed by base hits from
Jayden Rehlander and
Zoie Kincade before a
Brooklynn McCormick walk and Kelly Single to see Each of the first six T-Bird batters safely reach base. Following a fielder's choice that would see all runners advance safely after a throwing error by the Beavers trying to cut down a run at the plate, CCCC would see a double-play allowing PCC to avoid any more damage as the T-Birds would leave the bases loaded following their second three-run inning of the game.
The big inning of the game for Cloud County would come in the top of the fourth as a one-out rally would be started with a walk by Rehlander to set up a two-run Kincade homer to start what would ultimately become a five-run inning on six hits. CCCC would also see two-out base hits from Kelly and Billings put two runners on for a three-run home run by
Ryleigh Jones to turn an 8-1 game into a commanding 11-1 lead as the T-Birds would be in full control heading to the bottom of the fourth.
With more than enough run support for starting pitcher
Taylor Dekok, Cloud County would shut down the Beavers over the next two innings as PCC would be retired in order in both the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings to allow the T-Birds to end the game after the fifth by run-rule with the final 10 Pratt batters all retired in order.
All nine offensive players for CCCC in the game would record at least one hit each with four different players having an extra-base hit while being led by a three-for-three effort from Kelly who would drive in a game-high three runs. Jones would also finish with three RBI in the game while Kincade would drive in two as Cloud County would strike out just twice in the contest. In the circle, Dekok would face just one batter over the minimum to toss a complete-game two-hitter while allowing just one run and striking out two.
GAME TWO:
A slower start offensively for CCCC in game two would see the T-Birds held to just two runs through the first five innings of play with a two-run top of the second allowing for a 2-0 lead despite being held to just two hits through the first three innings. The 2-0 lead that Cloud County would take in the top of the second would remain intact until the bottom of the fourth as a single run for Pratt in the bottom of the third on a pair of CCCC errors would be followed up in the bottom of the fourth with a four-run inning for the Beavers giving PCC a 5-2 lead.
After stranding a runner in the top of the fifth, Cloud County would get a momentum-building defensive bottom of the fifth as a strikeout and two groundouts would quickly allow the T-Birds to get back to the plate where a leadoff bunt single from
Alexis Billings would be followed by a Pratt fielding error to set up a Jones two-RBI double to bring CCCC within a run at 5-4. Two batters later after a hit batter, the T-Birds would manage to retake the lead on an
Emily Kvasnicka two-RBI double that would be followed by a Mayhew walk to again put two runners on with no outs. The rally would continue with Rehlander driving in Kvasnicka on an RBI double as Cloud County would add one more run in the inning on a McCormick RBI single to cap off a six-run inning that would come on five hits.
Working around a leadoff double by getting a double play on a popup and groundout to keep the Beavers from putting together a rally, CCCC would manage to put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh as a two-out rally would see the T-Birds send 13 batters to the plate including eight with two outs to push across another nine runs to push their lead to 17-5. PCC would attempt to make things interesting in the bottom of the seventh as four-straight base hit singles to begin the inning would plate a pair of runs before a fielder's choice and RBI single to make it a 17-8 game with just one out. Cloud County would then induce a groundout that would bring home another run before issuing a walk and eventual game-ending groundout as the Beavers would strand two runners and not be able to overcome the 12-run deficit that they faced heading into their final inning at the plate.
Finishing the game with 18 hits as a team, the T-Birds would get a monster seven-RBI game from Jones who would go three-for-six with a home run and two doubles while
Hannah Hotalen would go three-for-five along with Rehlander and Billings who would both drive in a pair of runs and score twice each. Also recording a multi-hit game would be McCormick and Kelly with two hits each as eight total players for CCCC would have at least one hit in the game. Leading the way on the pitching mound would be freshman
Kiera Brack who would throw a total of 5.2 innings and allow just one run on five hits while striking out a career-high six in the game.
What's Next?
CCCC will be at home for four of their next six games beginning with a 1 PM doubleheader in Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference play against Johnson County Community College. The Cavaliers have won six of their past eight games and are off to a 2-0 start in the KJCCC while holding a 13-5 overall record this season.
