by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information
For the second time in three seasons, Kansas City Kansas Community College has won more than 30 games.
Improving to 31-7 with wins in 15 of their last 16 games, the Blue Devils of coach Lana Ross stretched their current winning streak to seven in a row with 9-5 and 8-1 wins at Fort Scott Thursday after sweeping Allen County 7-1 and 13-4 on Tuesday.
The wins set up a huge home doubleheader between two nationally ranked teams Saturday. No. 11 ranked Labette (13-1) leads the Jayhawk Conference Division A; No. 12 KCKCC (12-4) is second. The games are at 1 and 3 p.m. The Cardinals (13-1) swept the Blue Devils 10-2 and 5-2 earlier in the season. KCKCC and Johnson County (10-4) are Labette’s only challengers.
Sophomore Bradi Basler (15-3) of Lansing and freshman Breanna Droge (11-4) each got two pitching wins in the four games. Basler gave up five hits and one run, walking one and striking out six in KCKCC’s 8-1 at Fort Scott.
Against Allen County, Basler had a shutout through four innings before giving up five runs in the fifth inning in the 13-5 win. She allowed seven hits, striking out seven and walking one.
Droge had a shutout until the seventh inning in the 7-1 win over Allen County. She allowed five hits, two walks and fanned six. She was backed by two hits each by Savannah Maynard and Jenna Daugherty.
Droge also blanked Fort Scott for three innings before giving up five runs on five hits, walking two and striking out eight. Samantha Reynolds and Nerida Elson worked in relief before Basler finished up.
Alexis Rymer homered, doubled and singled and drove in three runs and Alaina Howe drove in five with a pair of hits and stole two bases in the 13-5 nightcap win. Basler also homered and singled and Madison Pope doubled and singled.
KCKCC jumped out to a 3-0 lead but needed four runs in the fifth to cement the 9-5 first game win at Fort Scott. Jenna Daugherty had three singles and two stolen bases while Lindsey Gettle and Basler each had a double and single and run batted in.
The Blue Devils trailed 1-0 before scoring three times in the fifth in the 8-1 win at Fort Scott. Basler belted her sixth home run of the season, singled and drove in three runs; Gettle singled three times, Devin Purcell doubled and singled; and Pope singled twice.
Six games are on tap for the Blue Devils next week starting Tuesday at Crowder, the No. 19 ranked team in Division I. They go to Cloud County in Concordia Thursday and then return home Saturday to entertain Neosho at 1 and 3 p.m.