CONCORDIA, Kan. – Concluding a four-game week with their final non-conference doubleheader of the season, the Cloud County Community College softball team split a home doubleheader with the Kansas Wesleyan University JV team by winning game one 3-2 before falling 5-0 in game two at the CCCC Softball Field in Concordia, Kansas on Thursday, March 21st.
Heading into their 20-game Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference slate beginning next week, Cloud County holds a 14-8 overall record while the Coyote JV team is now 5-9 overall.
Game One:
Jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a
Kaylee Pinneo home run following an
Alyssa Reynolds walk, both teams struggled on the offensive end over the course of the next three innings with just three total hits being recorded across the second, third, and fourth innings. Maintaining their 2-0 lead into the top of the fifth, CCCC saw Kansas Wesleyan JV get on the board with a leadoff double coming around to score two batters later on an RBI single before stranding a pair of runners in scoring position as a flyout and strikeout ended the inning and the threat that was posed by the Coyotes.
KWU JV struck again in the top of the sixth as a two-out single and stolen base set up an RBI single to tie the game at 2-2 with offense still proving to be hard to come by for the T-Birds. After being retired in order in the bottom of the sixth, Cloud County worked out of another jam in the top of the seventh as a leadoff double was cut down at the plate on an infield single to end the inning and keep the game knotted at 2-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh. A wild pitch on a third strike allowed leadoff batter
Kiera Brack to reach base for CCCC to begin the inning followed by another wild pitch to move the Weeping Water, Nebraska native into scoring position while serving as the game-ending run. After a flyout and walk to put two runners aboard, the T-Birds saw an infield popout put a second out on the board and nearly derail a potential walk-off. With the top of the order and sophomore
Kaitlynn Baca due up, Cloud County was able to win with an RBI single back up the middle just past the pitcher and into center field as Brack came around to score and give the T-Birds their second walk-off win of the year.
The three runs for CCCC came despite being held to just three hits in the game with Pinneo driving in two runs to lead the way with the T-Birds drawing three walks. Brack went the distance in the circle, striking out seven and allowing two runs on nine hits to improve to 8-3 overall.
Game Two:
A fielding error proved costly for Cloud County in the top of the first of game two as Kansas Wesleyan JV was able to put together a two-out rally and score a pair of unearned runs to take their first lead of the day which grew to 3-0 in the top of the third with two hits allowing the Coyotes to add to their lead. Held to just one hit through four innings, the T-Birds saw KWU JV score another two runs in the top of the fifth before leaving the bases loaded with three hits and two walks allowing the Coyotes to build their largest lead of the game. Offensive struggles continued for the CCCC into the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings as a walk in the fifth a pair of two-out singles getting stranded in what proved to be their best offensive threat of the game. The seventh inning went scoreless for both teams as Cloud County saw a leadoff double get stranded in scoring position to end the game with three consecutive outs leading to the fourth shutout defeat of the year for the T-Birds.
Nine strikeouts and seven stranded base runners told the story of the lack of offense for CCCC as Cloud County was limited to four hits with four different players (Pinneo, Camille stauffer, Brack, and
Madyson Buescher) all recording one hit. Both Pinneo and Busecher saw their hits go for extra bases with Brack being one of three T-Birds to draw a walk in the game. Two different pitchers threw for CCCC with
Brecken Whitney falling to 3-2 overall after tossing five innings and giving up five runs (three earned) on eight hits before seeing
Paige Mahler throw a scoreless final two innings in relief.
What's Next?
Cloud County hits the road for their lone doubleheader on the schedule the next week as the T-Birds will make the short trip to Hesston for a 2 PM doubleheader with the Larks to begin KJCCC play. The Larks will enter conference play with a 7-7 overall record following a pair of losses to Southeast Community College on the road last Wednesday with the games against the Bobcats their only games that Hesston has played dating back to March 4th.
