by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Ignited by a pair of home runs by Allison Kasick, Kansas City Kansas Community College swept a Jayhawk Conference softball doubleheader at Neosho County Tuesday.
A freshman from Basehor-Linwood, Kasick’s two home runs and five runs-batted-in powered KCKCC to a 7-3 opening game win and set up a 10-1 second game win. The sweep evened the Lady Blue Devils’ record at 16-16 heading into another Jayhawk twin bill at Allen County Wednesday.
Kasick’s first homer following a Hannah Bishop single gave KCKCC a 2-0 lead in the first and she capped a 3-run second inning with a 2-run single set up by singles by Candice Jennings, Sam Sudac, LaTisha Thomas and Bishop.
Kasick’s second home run and fifth RBI came in the fourth and Mikaela Hoffart singled and scored on a Jennings’ ground ball in the fifth.
Megan Sumonja went the 7-inning route for the win, allowing five hits and three runs but only one earned. She struck out six and walked two. She was backed by 12 hits including three by Kassick and two each by Bishop, Hoffart and Thomas.
Shannon Greene got the win in the 5-inning nightcap, scattering seven hits. The Blue Devils pounded out 15 hits including a half-dozen in both the second and third innings.
Six of the first seven Blue Devils to come to the plate lashed out hits as KCKCC jumped in front 4-0 in the second. Hoffart started it with a single and after a ground ball, Jennings singled in a run, Sudac doubled in another and Thomas, Kaylynn Stratton and Bishop rapped consecutive singles.
KCKCC built the lead to 9-0 in the third, scoring five runs on singles by Hoffart, Stringer, Sudac, Thomas and Stratton and a 2-run single by Bishop. The Blue Devils then ended it after five innings on singles by Stratton and Kasick, her sixth RBI of the day.