by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College used a pair of 5-run innings to sweep Fort Scott 7-1 and 11-3 Monday,
The wins kept the Blue Devils (8-4) solidly entrenched in fourth place in the Jayhawk Conference heading into KCKCC’s next-to-last home league doubleheader against Coffeyville Thursday at 2 and 4 p.m. Johnson County, the Blue Devils’ opponent Saturday in Overland Park, leads the conference with an 11-1 record followed by Highland (8-2), Labette (9-3) and KCKCC.
Freshmen Shay Grosstephan and Mackenzie Pinkerton turned in complete game performances in the sweep of Fort Scott. Grosstephan (10-4) scattered four hits, struck out seven and walked two in the opening 7-1 win while Pinkerton (10-7) allowed six hits and no runs over the final five innings in the 6-inning 11-3 nightcap. She also struck out seven and walked two.
The first game was scoreless until KCKCC (25-13) put five runs on the board in the fourth inning.
Grosstephan had the big hit in the inning, a 2-run double. Alaina Howe also doubled in a run and Jennica Messer singled in another. Hannah Redick and Kaylee Arnzen each had two hits in KCKCC’s 8-hit attack.
Arnzen launched two home runs and Howe one in the nightcap as the Blue Devils pounded out 12 hits, six for extra bases. Howe, Devin Purcell and Britney Smith each added doubles while five Blue Devils finished with two hits each – Purcell, Grosstephan, Arnzen, Smith and Howe.
Fort Scott took a 3-0 lead in the first inning but Arnzen got two of those runs back in home run to left and then put the Blue Devils ahead with another two-run line drive shot to left-center in a 5-run second inning. In addition to Arnzen’s four RBIs, Smith, Purcell and Grosstephan each drove in two runs.
