Softball | 4/15/2025 7:19:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Cloud County Community College softball team split a doubleheader with Allen Community College in Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference play on Tuesday, April 15.

The T-Birds dropped the first game of the day in a 5-4 decision after leading 1-0 at the end of the sixth inning. Cloud County struck first, breaking a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth inning when sophomore Shaylee Keslar doubled to center field, scoring freshman Berkleigh Curtis. The Red Devils answered with five runs on four hits in the top of the seventh. Sophomore Kaylee Spreer had an RBI double to left field, while freshman Taryn Billings and sophomore Bailee Campbell both tallied two-run scoring singles in the frame.

Cloud County freshman Maliyah Koster led off the bottom of the seventh with an infield single. Following a ground out by freshman Emalee Johnson, sophomore Camille Stauffer singled to right field, bringing home Koster. Curtis followed with a single to center field, and Stauffer and Curtis were driven in on a single to right by Keslar. After freshman Lilly Ellison struck out, freshman Hailey Garcia singled to right field to put the potential game-winning run at first base. Sophomore right-hander Camrynn Yardley ended the game by getting freshman Bella Santin to ground out, leading to the one run defeat.

Sophomore Brecken Whitney suffered the loss in the circle. Whitney gave up five runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Keslar led the T-Birds at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI. Curtis was also 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Koster added one hit and one run scored. Stauffer also had one hit and one run scored to go along with an RBI. Garcia finished with one hit.

Cloud County answered with an 8-2 victory in seven innings in the second game of the doubleheader. Stauffer started the scoring with a two-run RBI double to left-center that scored Santin and sophomore Harley Smith in the top of the first inning. Allen Community College cut the deficit to a run in the top of the second when sophomore Jena Hendrix led off the inning by drawing a walk before scoring when Spreer reached on an error. The T-Birds tacked on a run in the third and added three more runs in the fourth to take a 6-1 lead. Stauffer added an RBI single to left in the third, driving in Koster. Keslar led off the fourth inning with a double to center field, later scoring on a one-out RBI single to center by Garcia. Smith also singled in the fourth. Koster then smashed a two-run RBI triple to center field, scoring both Garcia and Smith.

The Red Devils got another run back in the top of the sixth. Yardley led off the inning with a double to left-center before scoring on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Paxton Meyer.

The T-Birds responded in the bottom half of the sixth. Koster drew a two-out walk and soon advanced all the way to third on a throwing error by Allen Community College. A ground ball by Johnson was misplayed in the infield, allowing Johnson to reach and Koster to score. Stauffer then delivered another run-scoring double to left-center, driving in Johnson.

Sophomore Paige Mahler closed the door on Allen Community College in the top of the seventh. Billings opened the inning by lining out to Garcia at second base. Freshman outfielder Casey Schaffer followed with a ground out to Johnson at first base. After Campbell reached on a two-out infield single, Curtis made a diving catch in right field to get freshman Makayla Hirschmann to fly out to end the ballgame.

Mahler threw all seven innings, allowing just two runs on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts to earn her sixth win of the season.

Stauffer led the offense by going 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI. Koster and Smith both had two hit games and scored two runs each, while Koster also added two RBI. Keslar added a double, Curtis contributed a base-hit, and Garcia and Johnson finished with one hit and one RBI apiece.

Cloud County softball has improved to 11-25 overall and 2-12 in Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference play. The T-Birds will return home for a conference meeting with Independence Community College on Thursday, April 17. The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled for a 1 pm start time.