Category: KCKCC

by Tyler Scott, KCKCC sports information director

The KCKCC softball team entered the Plains District B Championship bracket as the No. 5 seed on Saturday.

Knowing they would have to win two games to make it to the championship match, the Lady Blue Devils were able to prevail by defeating No. 4 seed Johnson County Community College 11-5 before shocking No. 1 seed Highland Community College 1-0 in eight innings later that same evening.

The win over Johnson County earlier in the day also gave head coach Lana Ross her 700th career win as a head softball coach.

The Blue Devils are now 42-14 overall.

In the first game against Johnson County, the Blue Devils were the away team and came out of the gate fast.

The Cavaliers’ pitching struggled early as KCKCC was able to cash in three runs on a couple of walks from the opposing pitching staff. In the second frame, the Blue Devils got a hot bat from McKenna Lester as she hit a double to score another pair of runs – giving the Blue Devils a 5-0 lead.

Johnson County scored its first run in the third inning, but the Blue Devils continued to pile it on in the fourth frame. Lester and Lindsey Gettle each hit RBI singles, while Trinity De Tauer hit a pop fly ball that fell in to score another run. Madison Pope was later hit by a pitch and that sent another run across the plate for KCKCC.

Bradi Basler got the start in the circle and shutdown the Cavaliers through the first three innings despite allowing one run. Johnson County was able to find some life in the fourth as they cut the deficit to 9-5 at one point, but with KCKCC adding two more runs in the game, Basler settled down and didn’t allow another run the rest of the way.

Against Highland Community College neither team could find a run through the regulated seven innings. It was another strong pitching performance by Basler.

In the bottom of the eighth inning the Blue Devils were up and with a runner on second base, Kaitlyn Bradbury laid a bunt down the first base line – reaching safely just ahead of the throw. It was then runners on first and third with nobody out when Savannah Maynard hit a sacrifice fly ball to left field to score the winning run as Highland was unable to get the ball to home plate in time.

The win over Highland now puts KCKCC into the championship game with a 2-0 record in the tournament.

With forecasted bad weather on Sunday, the Blue Devils will wait to play the championship game on Monday at 2 p.m. at Lake Shawnee Softball Complex in Topeka. KCKCC will play the winner of Highland-Hesston Community College, which takes place Monday at noon.

Here’s a look at the remaining games in the District B bracket:
Lake Shawnee Softball Complex – Topeka, Kansas

May 16 – Game 5, Noon – (1) Highland (40-8) vs (21-29) (8) Hesston
May 16 – Game 6, 2 p.m. – (5) Kansas City, Kansas (42-14) vs Highland-Hesston Winner (District B Championship)
May 16 – Game 7, 4 p.m. – Game 6 (If Needed)

A District B Championship win would send the Blue Devils to the NJCAA Division II Softball Championship in Oxford, Alabama, May 24-28.

by Tyler Scott, KCKCC sports information director

The No. 3 seeded Kansas City Kansas Community College baseball team was able to surpass No. 14 seeded Pratt Community College on Wednesday and Thursday to advance to the NJCAA Central District Championship next week in Manhattan, Kansas.

The Blue Devils defeated the Beavers 16-6 and 6-5 in 12 innings.

The Blue Devils eased past Pratt in the first contest, but faced an uphill battle in the second game after giving up a late 5-2 lead in the eighth inning.

The Blue Devils and Beavers had to decide the victor in extra innings and that is when Darius Freeman knocked in the winning run with one out in the 12th frame.

KCKCC is now 47-10 overall on the year.

In the first game the Blue Devils pounded out six straight runs and a game total of 18 hits.

Pratt got on the board in the fourth inning with a pair of runs, but KCKCC scored three runs in the bottom of the inning – taking a 9-2 lead.

Pratt tacked on four more runs in the next two innings, but the Blue Devils offense stayed consistent and closed out the game in the eighth inning after scoring three runs to win the game early.

Palmer Hutchison led the team with four hits and added three RBI along with Brendyn Bard. KCKCC had seven extra base hits in the game, with Bard, Caleb Adams, Freeman and Matthew Buffington hitting one triple apiece. Camden Karlin improved to 5-0 on the mound with five innings pitched.

In game two, the Blue Devils worked their way to a 5-2 lead in the seventh inning after breaking a 2-2 tie in the fifth. The Beavers climbed back with two runs and loaded the bases in the eighth inning.

A questionable miscue by the Blue Devils let the Beavers tie the game at 5-5. However, KCKCC escaped the jam and started its attempt to take advantage of opportunities to score.

Neither team could score in the next three and a half innings, so when the Blue Devils got their at bats in the 12th, they took care of business. Bard scored the winning run on a hit by Freeman and it was settled at that point.

Sanchez and Freeman each had three hits in the game. William Hann secured the victory on the mound, moving to 3-0 on the year.

KCKCC now awaits the winner of No. 11 seed Neosho County Community College – No. 6 seed Cloud County Community College, meeting one of those teams in Manhattan, Kansas, at 10 a.m. May 17.

by Tyler Scott, KCKCC sports information director

The KCKCC softball Blue Devils have been seeded No. 5 in the upcoming District B NJCAA Region VI Division II Softball Tournament, according to a conference announcement.

The tournament will take place May 14-15 at Hummer Sports Park in Topeka, Kansas.

The Blue Devils enter the tournament at 40-14 overall and finished 21-11 in the KJCCC.

After losing four straight games to Neosho County Community College and Highland Community College, the Blue Devils took three of their final four games – including a sweep over Allen County Community College and one game against Johnson County Community College.

KCKCC had its best results of the season when it won 11 of 12 games to cap off the month of April.

McKenna Lester, Bradi Basler and McKenzie Ogden are all hitting over .400 this season and have played in all 54 games.

Savannah Maynard leads the team with 22 doubles and is batting .370. Ogden has hit 10 triples on the year, while Basler and Lester have hit 16 and 12 home runs.

Lester also leads the team with 82 RBI and Basler has scored 72 runs. Basler and Breanna Droge have combined for 39 wins in the circle and 303 strikeouts.

The squad opens the tournament by facing off against No. 4 seed Johnson County Community College at noon Saturday.

If KCKCC wins, a match against the winner of No. 1 Highland – No. 8 Hesston will take place Saturday at 4 p.m. If KCKCC loses to the Cavaliers, the Blue Devils would play the loser of that same match Saturday at 2 p.m.

Tournament matches:

May 14 – Game 1, 10 a.m. – (1) Highland (39-7) vs (20-28) (8) Hesston
May 14 – Game 2, noon – (5) Kansas City Kansas Community College (40-14) vs (28-16) (4) Johnson County Community College
May 14 – Game 3, 2 p.m. – Highland-Hesston loser vs KCK-Johnson loser
May 14 – Game 4, 4 p.m. – Highland-Hesston winner vs KCK-Johnson winner
May 15 – Game 5, 10 a.m. – Game 3 winner vs Game 4 loser
May 15 – Game 6, noon – Game 4 winner vs Game 5 winner (District B championship)
May 15 – Game 7, 2 p.m. – Game 6 (If needed)

Fans can follow the tournament by watching the action at https://kjccc.org/sports-network.