Month: March 2014

KCKCC completes unprecedented four-game sweep of Cowley

by Alan Hoskins

Kansas City Kansas Community College wiped out any doubts that the Blue Devils’ sweep at Cowley County last Thursday was a fluke by repeating the sweep on home turf Saturday.

“That’s the first time Cowley has ever lost all four games since the conference went to a four-game set,” said KCKCC coach Steve Burleson, whose Blue Devils posted 6-5 and 11-1 wins over a Cowley team that was unbeaten at 12-0 and tied for the league lead going into the series.

And now the Blue Devils have a chance to do it again against another No. 1 team.

Coffeyville, the Jayhawk Conference leader at 15-1, comes to KCKCC Thursday for a doubleheader at 1 and 3:30 p.m. before the Blue Devils go to Coffeyville Saturday to complete the four-game series.

Up ahead, however, is a Monday home twin bill with William Jewell’s JV at 2 p.m.

KCKCC won the Cowley opener 6-5 on Mitch Glessner’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh after Cowley had tied the game with five runs in the top of the inning. Garrett McKinzie led off the winning rally with a double and Christian Arnold’s bunt single moved pinchrunner Easton Edmond to third.

A ground ball advanced Arnold to second and Danny Kralicek was intentionally walked to load the bases and set up Glessner’s fly ball to center on a 1-2 pitch.

E.J. Merlo pitched shutout ball over the first six innings, leaving runners stranded in five of the six innings before the Tigers broke through in the seventh, scoring five times on five hits, a walk, hit batsman and error.

Jonathan May got the win in relief although giving up one run on two hits.

KCKCC jumped in front 4-0 in the third. After a leadoff double by Glessner, error and an intentional walk loaded the bases with one out, Sam Baxter’s bunt single scored one run, McKinzie singled in two more and Daniel LaMunyon singled in Baxter.

The Blue Devils tacked on another run in the fourth on a walk, sacrifice and Lucas Norton’s two-out single.

The Blue Devils wasted no time on jumping on Cowley’s Storm Rynard in the second game in a duel with Cole Frakes that matched Raymore-Peculiar graduates.

“They started a guy who throws 94 miles per hour and we started a guy who throws 74 and we got a complete game 11-1 win,” Burleson said.

After a double by Norton and a walk, the Blue Devils kayoed Rynard by scoring four times with two out in the first.

A wild pitch scored one run, Eric Hinostroza singled in two and Glessner one.

KCKCC added three more runs in the third on hits by Hinostroza and Norton and run-scoring bunts by Zane Mapes and Tanner Foerschler and then wrapped it up with four runs in the fifth on hits by Foerschler, Norton, McKinzie and LaMunyon and a double by Arnold.

“Luke Norton continues to lead the way and it’s good to see McKinzie and Arnold continue to swing the bat,” Burleson said. “One thing that should be noted. The bench really did a great job in keeping us fired up in a hostile environment down there and it carried over Saturday. Winning four was certainly encouraging but now the question is what do we do from here?”

Freeby graduates from basic training

Air Force Airman Josephine J. Freeby graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Freeby is the daughter of Carmelita and William Freeby of Kansas City, Kan.  She is a 2011 graduate of Bonner Springs High School.

Urban leadership earns high school seniors Edgerley-Franklin scholarships

 

Finalists for the Edgerley-Franklin urban scholarship at Kansas State University included, front row, from left: Samantha Estabrook, Eunice Ortiz, Taylor Cofield and Miya Saint-Luis; back row, from left: Natalie Walton, Steve Edgerley, Noe Nunez, Michael Zuniga, Celso Carranza, Marco Loma-Jasso, Bernard Franklin, special assistant to the K-State president; and Emmalee Laidacker. (Photo from Kansas State University)

Two Kansas City, Kan., high school seniors have been named Edgerley-Franklin scholarship winners at Kansas State University, Manhattan.

Marco Loma-Jasso, Turner High School, and Natalie Walton, Wyandotte High School, both from Kansas City, Kan., are both Edgerley-Franklin Urban Leadership Scholarship recipients.

The other scholarship finalists were from Buhler, Dodge City, Kansas City, Mo., Olathe, Overland Park, Liberal and Pittsburg, Kan.

Kansas State University awarded five Edgerley-Franklin scholarships in all this year to outstanding seniors who have made contributions to the urban communities in which they live.

The university received 93 applications, and a selection committee chose 11 finalists to interview.

Finalists participated in an on-campus interview and recognition day on March 10.

Of those interviewed, five students were chosen to receive the $3,000 scholarship. Scholarships are renewable for up to three years with a 3.0 GPA at the university.

This scholarship is made possible by the Edgerley and Franklin families who continuously demonstrate leadership and support of service to individuals from urban areas.

It was created in memory of Bernard Franklin’s wife, Elsia, who was committed to helping better the lives of young girls in urban Alabama.

Franklin is a special assistant to Kansas State University’s vice present for student life.

The Edgerleys have been longtime supporters of Kansas State University, contributing to a number of scholarships, funds and faculty chairs in the past 10 years, including: the Paul B. and Sandra M. Edgerley Business Administration Scholarship; the Paul B. Edgerley Chair in Business Administration; the Robert M. Edgerley Chair in International Business, in honor of his father; the Edgerley Family Chair in the College of Business Administration; and the President Wefald Leadership Chair in Business Administration.