Three Blue Devils, from left, Katelyn Mask, Kelli Sleefe and Natatlia Vega Aponte, went to the floor in a valiant but vain effort to return a shot in Tuesday’s 3-0 loss to Coffeyville, the defending national champion. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins) KCKCC freshman outside hitter Katelyn Mask (5) deftly returned a shot past two Coffeyville blockers in the Blue Devils’ 3-0 loss to the No. 1 ranked Red Ravens Tuesday. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)
by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
No. 1 ranked Coffeyville was as good as advertised in a 3-0 sweep of Kansas City Kansas Community College Tuesday night.
The Red Ravens, defending national champions, led virtually from start to finish in 25-15 and 25-14 wins before needing a late surge in a 25-18 third set victory. KCKCC led 6-3 in the third set and it was tied 14-14 before Coffeyville pulled ahead 18-14.
It was the 10th straight win for Coffeyville, which has lost only one set in the 10 matches in a schedule that has included Jayhawk Conference rivals Neosho County, Highland and Cowley, Iowa Central, Ellsworth and Southwestern. Only Lincoln Land has won a set against the Red Ravens. That came in the second match of the season. Since then, Coffeyville has swept eight matches in a row.
The win also snapped a streak of seven straight wins for KCKCC including a 4-0 sweep in the Southeastern Iowa tournament this past weekend.
“We didn’t play very well,” KCKCC coach Mary Bruno-Ballou said. “Not taking anything away from Coffeyville because they are a great team but we did not execute the way we prepared for game situations like this nor was our energy level where it needs to be.”
The Blue Devils (7-2) now head for the annual Pasco-Hernandez Tournament to be played Friday and Saturday in New Port Richey, Fla.
KCKCC then returns to Jayhawk Conference action next Wednesday, playing at Allen County at 6:30 p.m. and then Johnson County Friday at 6 p.m. Next home match comes against Neosho County Sept. 19 followed by the annual KCKCC Tournament Sept. 21-22.
The Sioux City Explorers won 4-1 over the T-Bones in the first playoff game Tuesday night, largely on the strength of the pitching of James Dykstra, who threw a two-hitter.
The South Division Series playoffs in the American Association are currently at T-Bones Stadium, where the two teams are scheduled to play again at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City, Kansas.
Sioux City jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a one out single by Michael Lang and an RBI single from Nate Samson off T-Bones ace Tommy Collier.
A sacrifice fly by Jose Sermo scored Samson from second in deep center field. Todd Cunningham made a fantastic defensive play diving with his back to the infield to make the play off the bat of Sermo, but the throw back to the infield was off line to the cutoff man, helping Samson score.
The T-Bones cut the lead to one in the bottom of the fourth. Cunningham walked, and Noah Perio Jr. followed with a double to put runners at second and third.
Adrian Nieto then made it a 2-1 game on a fielder’s choice RBI to second but that was as close as the T-Bones got. Dykstra retired the next eight in a row to keep the KC bats in the freezer.
Sermo hit a solo home run in the sixth and Blake Schmit added another in the seventh, both off Collier, to close out the Sioux City scoring. In the bottom of the ninth, KC got a two-out hit and walk, but a superb diving play by X’s right fielder Lang ended the ball game with a final 4-1.
Dykstra (1-0) got the win while Collier (0-1) took the loss.
The Kansas City T-Bones did not have much rest before Tuesday night’s game. They were playing Monday afternoon in Gary, Indiana, and returned home in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, around 3 a.m., to open the playoff series with the Sioux City Explorers. The Explorers had a shorter drive from their series in Wichita on Monday, arriving here at 7 p.m. Monday.
The teams will play game two of the best of five game series at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday at T-Bones Stadium. Right-handed pitcher Barrett Astin (10-3, 5.81) will try to even the series for Kansas City, while right-handed pitcher Jason Garcia (3-0, 1.57) will go for a 2-0 stranglehold on the series for Sioux City.
Tickets are $8 tonight for any seat, except the suites. Call 913-328-5618 or visit tbonesbaseball.com for more information.
The game can be heard online on the T-Bones Broadcast Network, http://mixlr.com/t-bones-baseball/.
The Kansas City area could receive 1 to 2 inches of rain. (National Weather Service graphic)
Showers and scattered thunderstorms will affect much of the lower Missouri Valley today through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Widespread severe weather is not expected at this time.
The combination of a tropical airmass along with very efficient rains will lead to heavy rain and increasing threat for flooding and flash flooding both today and Thursday, the weather service said.
In addition, persistent and very efficient rains will further prime the soil for possible more widespread flooding later this week when the remnants of Hurricane Gordon move through the area, according to the weather service.
With several days of rainfall expected, and with the potential rain amounts, flooding will be a concern across the entire area through the upcoming weekend, the weather service said.
The track and location of heavier rain will depend upon several factors, which may change, according to the weather service. Forecast rainfall amounts and locations will be adjusted as forecasters approach the end of the week.
The remnants of Hurricane Gordon are expected to lift north into the lower Missouri Valley by the weekend, the weather service said.
Abundant moisture associated with this system will move into the region which could lead to widespread heavy rainfall and the threat for additional flash flooding through the late week and early weekend, according to the weather service.
At 9 a.m. Sept. 5, the Kansas and Missouri rivers in Wyandotte County were not in flood stage, according to hydrology charts. The Missouri River at Kansas City was about 10 feet below flood stage. The Kansas River in Kansas City, Kansas, also was about 10 feet below flood stage on Wednesday morning.
However, the Missouri River at Leavenworth was in the action stage, according to a hydrology chart.
Today, there is an 80 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 10 a.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 78 with a south southwest wind of 6 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. Between three-quarters and 1 inch of rain is expected.
Tonight, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm, with a low of 68 and a northeast wind of 6 mph, according to the weather service. Between a quarter and half-inch of rain is possible.
Thursday, the forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of rain and storms before 2 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 77 with a northeast wind of 6 to 8 mph. Between a quarter and half-inch of rain is possible.
Thursday night, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, then shows are likely and a possible thunderstorm after 2 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be 67 with a northeast wind of 6 to 9 mph. Between a half and three-quarters inch of rain is expected.
Friday, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 2 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 73 with a northeast wind of 6 to 9 mph. Between a half and three-quarters of an inch of rain is possible.
Friday night, there is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms with a low of 65, according to the weather service. Between three-quarters and 1 inch of rain is possible.
Saturday, there is a 50 percent chance of showers before 2 p.m., with a high near 70, the weather service said.
Saturday night, it will be mostly cloudy with a low of 61, according to the weather service.
Sunday, it will be partly sunny with a high of 73, the weather service said.
Sunday night, it will be mostly cloudy with a low of 62, according to the weather service.
Monday, it will be mostly sunny with a high near 78, the weather service said.
Monday night, it will be partly cloudy with a low of 64, according to the weather service.
Tuesday, it will be sunny with a high near 81, the weather service said.
The remnants of Hurricane Gordon may bring heavy rains to the area on the weekend. (National Weather Service graphic)Heavy rainfall is possible, with flooding a concern. (National Weather Service graphic)
