Month: March 2018

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Coffeyville staged one of those late-inning rallies for which Kansas City Kanas Community College has been famous to set up a sweep of the Blue Devils Saturday.

Trailing 6-4, the Ravens scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 7-6 first game win and then completed the sweep by pulling away late for a 10-2 win in the nightcap.

The losses left the Blue Devils 1-3 in the Jayhawk Conference and 7-7 overall heading into a 9-inning single game against State Fair in Sedalia Tuesday at 2 p.m. followed by a Jayhawk doubleheader at Independence Thursday. KCKCC then returns home Saturday to play host to Indy at 1 p.m.

The Blue Devils were one out away from a 6-5 win in the opener but couldn’t get the final out. Three walks loaded the bases with one out in the seventh. Gunner Vestal got the second out on a sacrifice fly but Ravens’ leadoff man Antonio Culotta tied the game with an infield single off reliever Julian Rivera and Austin Bonnell won it with a single to left.

Coffeyville built up a 4-0 lead in the first three innings against starter Orlando Ortiz, who walked six and struck out six in five innings.

Brigham Mooney started KCKCC’s comeback with a leadoff double in the fourth, scoring on Brandon Still’s 2-out single before the Blue Devils went ahead 6-4 with a 5-run fifth inning.

Loading the bases with one out on a double by Remington Kelly, bunt single by James Bradley and a walk, the Blue Devils scored twice on a walk and hit batsman. Kevin Santiago put KCKCC ahead 5-4 with a 2-run single and the Blue Devils added another run on a bases-loaded walk.

Each team had seven hits with Santiago doubling and singling and Still singling twice to lead KCKCC. Vestal took the loss, giving up just one hit but walking three and striking out three in 1.1 innings.

Coffeyville led only 3-1 through six innings of the second game before scoring two runs in the seventh and five in the eighth.

Garrison Walton worked the first five innings for the Ravens, allowing five hits, one run and striking out eight. Dylan Matthew struck out three in two hitless innings before Garon Johnson closed out the win.

KCKCC took a 1-0 lead in the first. After a Josh Schumacher single and double play, Tyler Pittman singled and scored on a Santiago double.

However, the Blue Devils didn’t score again until the ninth on a walk, Brady Holder pinch single and Schumacher ground ball. Carlos Soto took the loss, allowing seven hits and five runs in 6.1 innings. He struck out eight, walked five.

Two errors set up Coffeyville’s 5-run eighth inning against Allan Brown, who struck out three and gave up three hits before Ethan Baltz finished up.

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Kansas City Kansas Community College’s women’s basketball season came to an end Saturday but not without a fight.

Facing No. 3 ranked Highland, the only undefeated team in NJCAA Division II, on the Scotties’ home floor, the Lady Blue Devils stayed stride for stride through one quarter and were down just nine at halftime before Highland pulled away for an 86-61 win.

The loss ended the Blue Devils’ season at 21-11 with 10 of the 11 losses to teams currently ranked in the Top 20 or in the Top 20 when they played.

“Extremely proud of our girls and their effort today,” KCKCC coach Joe McKinstry said. “They battled and made Highland work very hard to earn the win. The final score is not reflective of how competitive this game was. We did a great job of communicating and switching up defenses to make things difficult for Highland’s offense. In not for a couple of stretches that we turned the ball over and gave up some easy baskets, we played even with them.”

Defensively, Highland was held to a sub-standard 37.3 percent shooting from the field and 25.7 percent from 3-point, well back of KCKCC’s 45.5 percent for the game and .333 from the perimeter. The Blue Devils also had a 36-35 edge in rebounding.

But it wasn’t enough to overcome their old nemesis, turnovers – 31 in all which Highland converted into 31 points and 31 more shots (75-44). The Scotties also pulled down 15 offensive rebounds to four for KCKCC.

KCKCC led 9-8 midway through the first quarter and was tied 18-all after one quarter on the strength of sophomore Alix Wilson, who either scored or assisted on the Blue Devils’ final nine points and grabbed a pair of defensive rebounds.

But Highland took advantage of four KCKCC missed shots and four turnovers to start the second period and open a 26-18 lead. A Miya Ford trey and an Ashley Daniels free throw got KCKCC back to 26-24 only to have the Scotties finish the half with a 14-7 run and a 40-31 lead and the Blue Devils never got closer in the second half.

Lillie Moore led KCKCC with 19 points and six rebounds; Miya Ford scored 13 points and led in rebounds with seven; Nija Collier had 12 points and six rebounds; and sophomore Alix Wilson finished her Blue Devil career with nine points including two of KCKCC’s four treys.

Mariane De Caravalho, Highland’s All-American candidate, led the Scotties with 29 points and five rebounds.

The win advanced Highland (31-0) to the Region VI championship game against Johnson County (25-7) Wednesday at the Jack Hartman Arena in Park City with the winner moving on to the national tournament at North Arkansas Community College in Harrison. JCCC gained the title game with a 57-46 win at Labette Saturday after the two teams had split in regular season play.