Sweep vaults KCKCC into fifth place tie in Jayhawk Conference

by Alan Hoskins

Shutout pitching by Geoff Birkemeier and reliever Hunter Phillips carried Kansas City Kansas Community College to a doubleheader sweep of Labette Thursday.

Birkemeier threw a two-hit gem in shutting out the Cardinals 5-0 in the opener while Phillips retired the final 10 batters as the Blue Devils rallied for an 8-7 win in the nightcap.

The sweep vaulted the Blue Devils (23-17) into a fifth place Jayhawk Conference tie with Independence, both 14-12 with 10 games remaining starting with a return doubleheader against Labette in Parsons Saturday.

KCKCC’s final eight games will be played against Highland April 17-19 and Allen County April 24-26.

Trailing 7-6 in the bottom of the eighth of the second game, the Blue Devils put runners on second and third with one out on a hit batsman, a single by Daniel LaMunyon and, a sacrifice bunt by Eric Hinostroza.

An attempted squeeze play with Sam Baxter at the plate misfired but pinchrunner Alex Thrower escaped a rundown to score the tying run and the winning running scored moments later on Baxter’s ground ball to short.

The rally made a winner out of Phillips, who came on in the sixth inning with two on and one out, served up an inning-ending double play pitch and then set down the Cardinals in order the final three innings.

KCKCC took advantage of Labette miscues to build a 5-0 lead. Lucas Norton’s bunt single to lead off was the only hit in a two-run first inning while an error opened the door for a 3-run third that included the first of three singles by Zane Mapes, Norton’s second hit, a sacrifice fly by Tyler Raymond and an RBI single by Garrett McKinzie.

Preston Bailey got the mound start but had to be lifted in a four-run fourth with an arm injury.

Labette then went ahead 7-5 in the sixth, scoring three runs off Cole Frackes on an error, two singles and a walk before Phillips came on to slam the door on the Cardinals.

KCKCC closed back to 7-6 in the bottom of the sixth on Mapes’ two-out single following a single by Mitch Glessner and a walk.

Birkemeier retired the Cardinals in order in the five of seven innings and faced only three men over the minimum in the opener.

A two-out double in the third following an error and a two-out single in the seventh were the only hits off Birkemeier, who struck out three and walked none.

“I thought Geoff Birkemeier was throwing well enough to throw a no-hitter,” said KCKCC coach Steve Burleson. “He pitched impeccably. The second game we were a little bit luckier than good.”

The Blue Devils bunched all of their six hits in the first three innings in the 5-0 win.

Norton was hit to start the game, moved up on Raymond’s single and scored on a wild pitch in the first and Mapes and Norton rapped back-to-back triples following Eric Hinostroza’s single for a 3-0 lead in the second.

Bunt singles by LaMunyon and Mapes following an error, walk and Hinostroza’s sacrifice fly plated the final two runs in the third.

Piper results

The Piper High School golf team recently competed at Alvamar, where it placed fourth. (Piper High School photo)

Piper High School – golf at Alvamar

– 4th place as a team

– Eric Pahls (8th) with a 79

Piper High School – soccer vs. Mill Valley

– Varsity won 2-1

– goals by Woolley (2) and assist by Gunnels

– JV lost 0-1

Piper High School – baseball vs. Bishop Ward

– Varsity lost both games 1-11 and 1-6

– JV won game No. 1 (3-2) and lost game #2 (1-13)

Piper High School – softball vs. Bishop Ward

– Varsity won both games 21-0

– game No. 1 highlights:

– Henry winning pitcher gave up 1 hit

– N. Salazar 1-1, A. Sullivan 2-2 with HR and 4 RBI, Lauritzen 1-2 with a HR and 3 RBI, and Evans 2-2

– game No. 2 highlights:

– Wietharn winning pitcher and went 2-3 (double)

– King 2-3 with a double and 3 RBI, Sullivan 1-1 with a triple, Lauritzen 1-1 with a double, Bridge 2-3 with 4 RBI, McCall went 2-2, Evans went 2-2 with double

– Information and photo from Doug Key, Piper activities director

 

KCKCC softball hopes to rebound at home Friday, Saturday

by Alan Hoskins

Highland lived up to its No. 12 Division II softball ranking Wednesday, sweeping Kansas City Kansas Community College 9-2 and 3-0.

The losses dropped the Blue Devils’ overall record to 24-10 and Jayhawk mark to 12-10 as they hope to rebound with a pair of home conference doubleheaders against Cloud County Friday at 2-4 p.m. and Brown Mackie Saturday at noon-2 p.m.

Highland put the opener away in the first inning, scoring five runs on just two hits – a double and 3-run home run off Leslie Ford and then added four runs in the sixth.

KCKCC collected nine hits but could score only in the fourth on doubles by Hanna Baarnhart and Morgan Dike and a single by Ashley Henington. Mierra Morisette with a double and single and Justice Scales with two singles were the only Blue Devils with more than one hit.

The Lady Blue Devils were limited to just five hits in the 3-0 nightcap to nullify a strong pitching performance by Elizabeth Seimears, who allowed five hits and struck out six.

The only run in the first five innings off Seimears came on a leadoff home run in the second.

Three of the Scotties’ five hits came in the sixth when they added their final two runs. Lacey Santiago’s 2-out triple in the fifth was the only extra base hit for KCKCC.