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.