Baseball | 3/30/2025 12:54:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Cloud County Community College baseball team swept a Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference doubleheader over Seward County Community College, winning the first game 9-3 before besting the Saints 14-4 in seven innings in the series finale Saturday, March 29 at Brent Gould Field in Liberal, Kansas.

The T-Birds capture their first series win over Seward County since 2023 after the two teams split a doubleheader in Concordia on March 27. With the doubleheader sweep on Saturday, Cloud County has improved to 23-10 overall and is off to a 12-4 start in KJCCC play.

Freshman right-hander Cole Linton picked up a complete game victory in game one, pitching seven innings and allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits with four strikeouts. The game marked the second complete game for Linton this season. The Goodland, Kansas native has moved to 3-1 on the year.

The T-Birds jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage in the top of the first inning. Redshirt freshman Matthew Evans recorded a one-out double to right-center field, before scoring on a sacrifice bunt attempt by sophomore Noah Konings. Konings managed to reach off a defensive miscue, advancing all the way to third base on the bunt attempt. An RBI ground out by sophomore Nolan Freund scored Konings to give Cloud County the early lead.

Cloud County loaded the bases with no outs to open the third inning. An RBI ground out by Konings scored sophomore Eric Bradicich, while Freund followed with a double to left field, driving in Evans and sophomore Austin Coyle to bring the score to 5-0.

Bradicich added a two-run home run in the top of the fourth, driving in freshman Vasya Seymour, giving Cloud County a 7-0 advantage.

Seward County responded with two runs in the bottom half of the fourth, but the T-Birds answered back with two runs in the fifth. Konings led off the inning with a single to center field. Freund followed with an RBI double to center, before eventually scoring on a throwing error.

Freshman Blaine Chancy added an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth for the Saints.

Freund led the T-Birds at the plate. The infielder from Kingman, Kansas finished 2-for-4 with two doubles, one run scored and four RBI. Bradicich went 2-for-2 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI. Coyle also had a two-hit day with one run scored. Konings scored three runs and added an RBI. Sophomore catcher Cam Macleod had a double before exiting the game early with an injury.

The Cloud County offense picked up right where it left off from game one as it scored four runs in the top of the first inning in game two. The T-Birds once again loaded the bases with no one out. Freund tallied an RBI single to score Coyle. Evans scored when freshman Joey Marino reached on a fielder's choice. Bradicich capped the first inning scoring with a double to right field, bringing home Konings and Marino.

Evans drilled a triple to right field in the top of the second, scoring Coyle. Evans then raced home on a passed ball to push the Cloud County lead to 6-0.

Seward County was able to get three runs back in the bottom of the third when freshman Emry Cairns scored on a wild pitch and freshman Brooks Barber and Chancy delivered RBI singles.

The Cloud County offense went back to work, scoring one run in the fourth and four runs in the fifth. Marino had an RBI double in the fourth, while Evans had an RBI double in the fifth. Konings drilled a stand-up triple to right field, scoring Evans, in the top of the fifth, and Freund followed with a two-run home run, scoring Konings on his fourth round-tripper of the year.

An RBI double by Chancy in the bottom of the fifth cut the deficit to 11-4, but the T-Birds answered with three more runs in the sixth. After freshman Carter Cathers reached on a two-out single, Seymour brought him home when he roped a double to left-center. Seymour scored on an RBI double to left by Coyle, before Coyle scored on an RBI hit by Evans to secure the 14-4 victory.

Cloud County pounded out 16 hits in the win, including nine extra-base hits. Freund finished 4-for-5 with a home run, a double, one run scored and three RBI. Evans went 4-for-5 with a triple, a double, three runs scored and three RBI. Coyle finished 2-for-5 with a double, three runs scored and one RBI. Konings had a triple, while Bradicich, Marino and Seymour each had a double. Bradicich and Marino each added two RBI, while Seymour scored two runs.

Freshman Kai Rempel earned the win in game two. Rempel pitched two innings, allowing just one earned run on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Redshirt freshman Ben Soke started the game, as he went three innings and allowed three earned runs on four hits with two walks and one strikeout. Sophomore Aaron Boutz and freshman Sam Brummund each pitched one scoreless inning out of the bullpen.

The T-Birds will open its next Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference series when they travel to Hutchinson, Kansas to face the Hutchinson Blue Dragons at Hobart-Detter Field on Thursday, April 3 at 1 pm. Hutchinson is 25-8 overall and 7-5 in KJCCC action. The games will be streamed live by Hutchinson Community College.