by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information
Five pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts Monday as Kansas City Kansas Community College closed out the 2021 regular season with a 10-1 win over Hesston.
The win improved the Blue Devils’ record to 29-18 heading into NJCAA Division I regional playoff action against Cloud County Friday at 3 p.m. on the Seward County campus in Liberal. Seward will play host to Hesston in the tourney opener at noon with the two losers clashing at 6 p.m.
KCKCC scored in six of the first seven innings against Hesston. Caleb Adams led a 12-hit Blue Devil attack with a double, two singles and three runs-batted-in. Four of the hits were for extra bases as Brock Stewart tripled and Raymond Paniagua and Caleb Brown each doubled. Cole Slibowski singled twice.
Alan Mercado (1-2) got the pitching win, striking out three and allowing no hits in two innings. Sebastian Velez pitched the first inning, allowing one run on two hits.
Eli Tormes and Parker Weddle each struck out four in two innings while Joseph Reyes gave up two hits and Hunter Cashero one in one inning of relief.
Adams tied the game 1-1 with a first inning single and the put the Blue Devils in front 3-1 with a two-run double following a double by Paniagua and hit batsman in the third. A single by Cole Dawson, triple by Stewart and double by Brown highlighted a 3-run seventh.