by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Heading into a pivotal four-game series with Highland this week, Kansas City Kansas Community College gave its relief pitching staff some much needed work Tuesday but without the expected results.
Eight Blue Devil pitchers were tagged for 23 hits in a 19-6 loss at Maple Woods. The loss dropped the Blue Devils to 25-12 heading into a Jayhawk Conference doubleheader at Highland Thursday at 1 p.m. Highland will then come to KCKCC Saturday with retired Blue Devil coach Steve Burleson throwing out the first pitch at 12:55 p.m.
It’s a crucial four-game series for the Blue Devils (13-7), who trail Neosho County (15-5) by two games and share second place with Fort Scott, Allen County and Cowley. Other Jayhawk matchups this weekend include Neosho-Coffeyville, Allen County-Fort Scott, Cowley-Independence and Johnson County-Labette.
Maple Woods scored in every inning but the eighth in the 23-hit barrage that included 12 extra base hits – seven doubles, two triples and three home runs.
KCKCC’s highlights were limited to leadoff home runs by Conor Behrens in the third and Travis Stroup in the fifth and a two-run triple by Levi Froud in the ninth. Behrens, Stroup, Froud and Ryan Fisher each had a pair of hits as they combined for all but two of the Blue Devils’ 10 hits.