The KCKCC baseball team will go to the regional tournament after defeating Neosho County on Sunday in the sub-regional. (KCKCC photo)
by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information
Kansas City Kansas Community College’s newest MO (method of operation) for baseball success: Get behind and then rally.
Overcoming 6-0 and 7-0 deficits in their first two games in the NJCAA Division I sub-regional in Liberal, the Blue Devils trailed Neosho County 8-6 in the eighth inning Sunday before rallying for a 9-8 win that wrapped up the championship and a berth in Friday’s four-team regional in Salina.
The win was the fifth in a row and boosted the Blue Devils’ record to 32-18 heading into a regional Friday that will determine the Jayhawk Conference representative in the NJCAA World Series in Grand Junction, Colo.
The Blue Devils reached the sub-regional tourney final by defeating Cloud County 16-9 after trailing 6-0 Friday and wiping out a 7-0 deficit in a wild come-from-behind 12-11 win over Neosho on Saturday. The Blue Devils’ opening foe in the regional is yet to be determined.
A misplayed bunt single by Camden Karlin was pivotal in KCKCC’s 3-run eighth inning Sunday. Cole Dawson led off the inning with a single and Brock Stewart reached on an error before Karlin’s bunt was thrown into right field to score Dawson. Beau Grable then tied it 8-8 with a sacrifice fly to center and Cole Slibowski drove in the game-winner with a one-out single to right. That brought on reliever Hunter Cashero, who set the Panthers down in order in the ninth.
Dawson drove in two runs with three singles; Ray Paniagua hammered a 2-run homer and singled; and Slibowski singled twice to pace a 10-hit Blue Devil attack.
Dawson put the Blue Devils in front 2-0 in the first with a 2-out, 2-run single after Neosho starter Drake LaRoche had given up three walks. The Panthers pulled even on an Ivan Witt home run in the third but Paniagua put KCKCC back in front 4-2 with his home run following a double by Brendyn Bard. However, Neosho scored twice in the fifth and sixth for a 6-5 lead.
The Blue Devils had scored a run in the fifth on Paniagua’s bunt single and Caleb Adams’ 2-out single and then tied it with an unearned run in the sixth on Slibowski’s single, again with two out. Neosho took its 8-6 lead in the eighth on a leadoff home run by Brett Wiemer and a pair of singles to set up KCKCC’s game-winning rally in the bottom of the inning.
Alan Mercado got the win, allowing five hits and four runs in three innings after southpaw Tre Simmons had pitched the first five frames, giving up five hits and four runs. He struck out four.
Rain is in the forecast for each day this week, according to the National Weather Service. (National Weather Service graphic)
Severe weather is not anticipated, but local flash flooding may be possible in areas of heavier showers, the weather service said. Additional storms may aggravate ongoing river flooding.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected after 1 p.m. today, according to the National Weather Service forecast.
Showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast each day this week, with continued rises in area streams and rivers to be expected. At this time, none of the rivers in Wyandotte County is near flood stage.
Today, there is a 40 percent chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1 p.m., according to the weather service. The high will be near 72 with an east northeast wind around 7 mph. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is expected.
Tonight, there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 61 with an east northeast wind of 6 mph becoming calm after midnight. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch are possible.
Tuesday, there is a 30 percent chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 10 a.m., the weather service said. Patchy fog is possible before 8 a.m. The high will be near 77. A light and variable wind will become southeast 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is possible.
Tuesday night, there is an 80 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 64 with a south southeast wind of 7 mph. Between a quarter and half-inch of rain is possible.
Wednesday, there is a 90 percent chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm, with a high near 76, the weather service said. A south wind of 7 to 14 mph will gust as high as 23 mph. Between a tenth and quarter-inch of rain is possible.
Wednesday night, there is a 50 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms before 8 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 8 p.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 65. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is expected.
Thursday, there is a 60 percent chance of showers, mainly after 1 p.m., with a high near 78, the weather service said.
Thursday night, there is a 30 percent chance of showers, with a low of 66, according to the weather service.
Friday, there is a 60 percent chance of showers, then showers are likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1 p.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 79.
Friday night, there is a 30 percent chance of showers after 1 a.m., with a low of 67, according to the weather service.
Saturday, there is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 80, the weather service said.
Saturday night, it will be partly cloudy, with a low of 66, according to the weather service.
Sunday, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm, the weather service said. The high will be near 81.
The mask ordinance is on the agenda for a special Unified Government Commission meeting scheduled at 7:15 p.m. Monday, May 17.
The April 29 mask ordinance is still in effect in Wyandotte County. Several surrounding communities dropped their mask ordinances after the CDC came out with new guidance last week.
Wyandotte County’s resident vaccination rate is 30.4 percent with a single dose, and 25 percent have completed their vaccinations. The Wyandotte County rate is lower than the Kansas rate of 39.9 percent who have received a single dose.
Free walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available for everyone 12 and older from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday, May 17, at the former Kmart, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas; and the former Best Buy, 10500 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas. People also can schedule vaccinations at WycoVaccines.org.
The Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th, Kansas City, Kansas, will be closed on Monday.
The Health Department will be doing more mobile vaccinations, and people may request vaccines to be given at different sites in the community by going to WycoVaccines.org and clicking on “mobile vaccine request.” People also may request a ride to vaccination sites on the same page.
UG Health Department vaccinations are now open to people from other counties and states. People may walk in for vaccinations or can schedule them.
Those who wish to schedule an appointment may use the Health Department’s self-scheduling tool at WycoVaccines.org and click on a blue button that says, “Click here to schedule an appointment online.” The page is available in Spanish by clicking at the top of the page. Walk-in appointments also are welcome.
Those who don’t have an internet connection may call 3-1-1 or 913-573-5311 for assistance in scheduling their vaccination appointment time and date. To see more information about Health Department vaccinations and next week’s schedule, visit WycoVaccines.org.
Other sites available for vaccination
Vaccinations at KU Health System are open to the public. Current patients may use MyChart to make an appointment. Others may call 913-588-1227 or visit kansashealthsystem.com/vaccine to make an appointment to get vaccinated. KU Health System currently is vaccinating residents of Kansas and Missouri who are 12 or older, by appointment only. Those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the appointment.
There are also pharmacies giving free COVID-19 vaccinations in Wyandotte County by appointment, when available. These include Price Chopper and Hen House pharmacies, which are now also accepting walk-in vaccinations or appointments, and are starting vaccinations for age 12 and up at those pharmacies that are giving Pfizer vaccine (see https://www.ballsfoodspharmacy.com/).
CVS has announced walk-in appointments for COVID-19 vaccine at some of its stores. Those interested in getting a vaccination at a CVS pharmacy are asked to visit a CVS website in order to make sure there is vaccine available. The website is at www.cvs.com/. Walgreens and Walmart also were listed on www.vaccines.gov as giving vaccinations.
Other pharmacies and sites giving vaccines are listed at www.vaccines.gov.
Case numbers reported
Wyandotte County reported an increase of 13 COVID-19 cases on Friday, May 14, for a cumulative 18,633 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 292 deaths reported, no change. The numbers were not updated Saturday and Sunday.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 172,688 cumulative COVID-19 cases.. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 54.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 311,705 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Friday, May 14, an increase of 367 cases since Wednesday, May 12. There were a total cumulative 5,038 deaths reported statewide, an increase of nine.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Sunday night reported 32,940,778 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 484,970 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 28,813 new cases nationwide and 476 new deaths nationwide. States with the highest number of new cases were Florida, 3,319; Alabama, 2,016; New York, 1,800; Pennsylvania, 1,693; and South Carolina, 1,525. Countries with the highest number of new cases were India, 311,170; Brazil, 67,009; U.S., 28,813; Argentina, 21,460; and Colombia, 18,873, according to Johns Hopkins information.
Free testing available Monday
Free COVID-19 testing will be available from 8 a.m. to noon Monday, May 17, at the Oak Ridge Missionary Baptist Church, 9301 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas. . The testing is in conjunction with Vibrant Health and the Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force. Appointments are not necessary.
One of the WellHealth sites for free COVID-19 testing is open beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, May 17, at Lowe’s at 6920 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Appointments are required. For more information, to see other testing sites and to make an appointment, visit https://www.gogettested.com/kansas.
