by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
An outstanding Kansas City Kansas Community College baseball season came to an abrupt and disappointing end Friday.
Locked in a 3-3 deadlock after nine innings, the Blue Devils were knocked out of the NJCAA DI regional tournament by a 4-run Barton County 10th inning hit explosion in a 7-3 setback. The loss ended KCKCC’s season with a 39-16 record while Barton County moves on in defense of last year’s regional championship with a 35-20 record.
The Blue Devils got a terrific pitching performance from sophomore Orlando Ortiz, who gave up just six hits and three runs in nine innings. He struck out seven and walked one but hit three batters, one of whom scored..
Offensively, KCKCC jumped out to a 3-1 lead. The Blue Devils forged a 1-1 tie in the second inning, scoring on Brady Holder’s two-out bunt single after a leadoff single by J.T. Goodfellow.
The Blue Devils knocked out Barton starter Easton Smith with three hits in a 2-run third. After singles by Eric Hinostroza and Tyler Henry, Goodfellow’s squeeze bunt scored one run and Traice Hartter singled in another.
But that’s when four Barton relief pitchers slammed the door on the Blue Devils’ offense, allowing only three hits and two walks over the final seven innings.
The Blue Devils’ biggest chance to score again came in the sixth when Kemper Bednar singled, stole second and went to third on a single by Eduardo Acosta. But with runners on second and third, Barton’s Jacob Ensz struck out the next two hitters. Jose Sosa walked and got as far as second in the seventh but the Blue Devils managed only one hit over the last four innings, an infield single by Hinostroza, his third hit of the game.
Barton opened the game with three straight singles to take a 1-0 lead but didn’t score again until the fifth when Harrison Denk was hit by a pitch and scored on Noah Geekie’s two-out double down the left field line. The Cougars tied the game in the eighth. Geekie led off with a double, took third on a ground ball and was able to score on a ground ball that was momentarily bobbled.
The Cougars unloaded on reliever Gaby Ramos in the 10th. Back-to-back-to-back doubles by Geekie, Chandler Bloomer and Charlie Peyla scored two runs, Scott Erickson’s squeeze bunt scored another and Andrew Stewart’s sacrifice fly got the fourth run home.
The Blue Devils’ 23-9 record in the Jayhawk East was KCKCC’s best in the last four seasons. A solid third in the conference, KCKCC finished a game out of second and three games out of first.
