Month: May 2016

No. 1 Neosho scores late to edge KCKCC 6-4

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Wichita – No. 1 seeded Neosho County pushed across two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning Saturday night for a 6-4 win that dropped Kansas City Kansas Community College into the loser’s bracket of the 2016 Region VI super-regional playoffs at Dumont Stadium.

The loss forces the Blue Devils to win two games today starting with Garden City at 1 p.m. to keep their championship hopes alive.

Tied 4-4 in the eighth, Neosho took advantage of a walk and hit batsman to start the winning rally. Ryan Tolliver broke the tie with a run-scoring single off Blue Devil relief ace Avery Fliger and the Panthers added another run on a bunt single by Evan Bourn and a sacrifice fly.

The loss came after the Blue Devils had battled back from 3-1 and 4-2 deficits to pull even at 4-4 in the top of the sixth. After a leadoff single by Eli Lovell and a one-out walk, Albert Woodard doubled in one run and Zach Mahoney tied it with a single. However, Neosho starter Mason Knopp left the bases loaded with an inning-ending fly ball.

After Neosho had taken a 1-0 lead on an unearned run in the first, KCKCC got even in the second on Drew Holtgrieve’s one-out triple and a Woodard ground ball. Another error set up a 2-run Neosho third as Brylie Ware doubled in one run and scored on a ground ball for a 3-1 lead and the Panthers made it 4-2 in the fourth on singles by Nate Crossman and Blake Tomasino.

Jake Purl worked the first seven innings, allowing five hits and just two earned runs. Lovell, Woodard and Mahoney each had a pair of hits and Conor Behrens a double for KCKCC, which fell to 41-19, Drew Johnson got the win for Neosho, retiring all six hitters he faced.

KCKCC shuts down Hutch offense 4-2 in playoff opener

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Wichita – Coming into the Region VI super-regional playoffs, Hutchinson had put 55 runs on the scoreboard in winning two of three games from Coffeyville.

The Blue Dragons managed just two off Kansas City Kansas Community College righthanders Brandon Reid and reliever Avery Fliger Friday as the Blue Devils opened playoff action with a come-from-behind 4-2 win. The win sent KCKCC into second round action Saturday at 7 p.m. against Jayhawk East champion and No. 1 seeded Neosho County, a 13-3 winner over Allen County Friday.

Reid checked the Blue Dragons on six hits over 7.1 innings before Fliger came in to get the final five outs as the Blue Devils improved to 41-18.

“Brandon was outstanding,” said KCKCC coach Matt Goldbeck. “He got in a couple of jams early but worked his way out of them. He really mixed his pitches well. They weren’t able to set on his fast ball because he was throwing all his pitches for strikes.”

Chase Redick and Easton Fortuna led a 10-hit KCKCC attack with three hits while Ryan Fisher joined Redick with two runs batted in, the second on a monster home run in the eighth.

Hutch took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a single, walk and ground rule double by Caden Doga but with runners on second and third with one out, Reid fanned the next two hitters. Singles by Albert Woodard and Fortuna and Redick’s squeeze bunt got KCKCC even in the third but Hutch went right back ahead in the bottom of the inning.

Loading the bases with one out, the Blue Dragons could manage only one run as Reid got a pair of ground balls to third. From that point on, Reid allowed only two more hits over the next five innings. Reid left after giving up a one-out walk in the eighth. Fliger came on to strike out three of the first four hitters he faced and after surrendering a pair of two-out singles in the ninth, ended it with a pop-up to second.

Meanwhile, the Blue Devils got even in the sixth on a leadoff double by Redick and a two-out single by Fisher and then went ahead to stay in the seventh on Redick’s single following a hit batsman and Fortuna’s second of three singles. Fisher provided an insurance run in the eighth, crushing a 400-foot home run to dead center, his seventh of the season.

“A good win,” Goldbeck said. “Offensively, that’s a good team. Fisher put a great swing on the home run and our No. 9 hitter (Fortuna) and leadoff man (Redick) delivered when we needed it most.” Hutch fell to 38-19. It was the fourth straight time the Blue Dragons had a chance to get 21 games over .500 but failed.

Faith news

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The Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., will hold a Scripture Group and Bible study from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesdays. Bible sharing and reflection, lectio and journaling will be led by Heather Neds, pastoral minister.

Parkway Baptist Church, 12320 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kan., is holding a Community Blood Center blood drive from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, June 20, at the Parkway Baptist Church classrooms. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 816-753-4040 or visit www.savealifenow.org.

Risen Lamb International Church of the Nazarene, located in the Turner area of Kansas City, Kan., has announced the opening of the Risen Lamb Prayer Room and Retreat Center. On location at their church at 5301 Metropolitan Avenue, the prayer room and retreat center is open to the public for daytime retreats. All individuals or small groups seeking a quiet, sacred space to gather, pray, meditate, journal or read resources about prayer are welcome. The prayer room provides a peaceful space for solitude or can be scheduled in advance for groups of up to eight people. Guests seeking spiritual guidance may schedule a time of spiritual direction with one of the pastoral staff, and groups may inquire about scheduling a member of the pastoral team to lead or speak at a retreat. Donations accepted but not required. For more information, or to plan a visit, contact the Rev. Philip Friday at pobfriday@yahoo.com or call 913-287-9418.

Stony Point Christian Church, 149 S. 78th St., plans a Ladies Spring Tea at 6 p.m. Monday, May 16, in the church coffee shop.

Members of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1300 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kan., will observe Pentecost Sunday at 10 a.m. May 15. The Rev. Machrina Blasdell, an adjunct professor of philosophy and religion at Park University, Parkville, will be the guest clergywoman. The service in Spanish will be at 7 p.m.

Wyandotte United Methodist Church, 7901 Oakland, Kansas City, Kan., is holding a Community Blood Center blood drive from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 14, at the Wyandotte United Methodist fellowship hall. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 816-753-4040 or visit www.savealifenow.org.

To send in items for the Faith News, email news@g3f.1db.myftpupload.com. Please include your name and contact information.