by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Stung by a 2-out rally in the seventh inning of a 3-1 opening loss, Kansas City Kansas Community College rebounded with a 5-inning 11-1 rout of Hesston in Jayhawk Conference softball play Friday.
The split left the Lady Blue Devils’ 13-15 heading into Saturday’s home doubleheader with Hutchinson. At Neosho County Tuesday, KCKCC is back home again Wednesday against Haskell.
The Blue Devils lashed out a dozen hits and scored in every inning of the 5-inning second game. Allison Kasick is believed to be the first Blue Devil to drive in runs in each of her four times at bat, the last three of which came on bases-loaded walks.
Hannah Bishop had three singles and two RBI, Sam Sudac doubled and singled and LaTisha Thomas singled twice to lead KCKCC.
Shannon Greene went the distance for the pitching win, allowing just four hits, striking out two and walking two. The only run allowed came on a 2-out wild pitch in the third.
The Blue Devils jumped in front 1-0 in the first on the first of Bishop’s three hits and a Kasick double and made it 2-0 in the second on an error, walk, Bishop’s second hit and the first of Kasick’s three bases-loaded walks.
KCKCC broke the game open with six runs on six hits in the third. With one out, the Blue Devils strung four hits in a row – a double by Katherine Stringer and singles by Candice Jenning, Sudac and Thomas – followed by two bases-loaded walks and run-scoring singles by Mikaela Hoffart and Amy-Grace Wilson. A double by Sudac and singles by Thomas and Bishop highlighted a final 3-run outburst in the fourth.
Hesston pitcher Miranda Dolsman did the damage in the 3-1 opening game loss, allowing just six hits and one run on the mound and delivering the game-winning runs with a 2-out single in the seventh inning. After giving up a pair of singles to start the seventh, Megan Mason struck out the next two Larks only to have Dolsman break the 1-1 deadlock with a 2-run single.
KCKCC’s lone run came in the fourth inning on a single by Amy-Grace Wilson and back-to-back doubles by Katherine Stringer and Candice Jennings. However, Dolsman allowed only one base runner the rest of the way and retired the final eight Blue Devil hitters. She struck out eight and walked two.