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Late goal keeps Lady Blue Devils unbeaten but tied

With teammates cheering her on, Madison Broeker launched the kick that pulled KCKCC into a 2-2 tie with Hutchinson with 3:48 remaining Saturday. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

Kansas City Kansas Community College’s No. 6 ranked women’s soccer team is still unbeaten – but with a tie.

Twice battling from behind, the Blue Devils fought through two 10-minute overtimes in a 2-2 deadlock with Hutchinson Saturday.

The tie left the Blue Devils 11-0-1 heading into a regular season-ending game at Coffeyville (7-3) Saturday at 4 p.m. A win would give KCKCC the outright Jayhawk Conference championship.

The Blue Devils trailed Hutchinson 2-1 with less than four minutes remaining when sophomore Madison Broeker scored the biggest goal of her young career, a kick that just beat Blue Dragon goalkeeper Kambrian Colborn inside the right post.

Officially, Corrine Hughes had the assist but it came on a series of seven passes – Katharina Oelschlaeger, Jaidyn Yingling, Katrina Sargent, Grace Runyon and Paige Liston before Kayley Pedersen fed Hughes, who set best friend Broeker up for the tying goal with 3:48 left.

“I told Maddy before the game this is the kind of game Maddy scores a goal and sure enough she put it away,” KCKCC coach Shawn Uhlenhake said.

It was the second multiple-pass goal for the Blue Devils. Hutch had taken a 1-0 lead in the first 64 seconds of the second half and the Blue Devils needed a goal from Hughes to get even with 34:16 left. Hughes started the series with a pass to Melissa Siegel and on to Pedersen before Broeker set Hughes up for the tying kick in front of the goal.

“At times we have glimpses of real good combinations but it’s really hard to do,” Uhlenhake said.

Hutchinson (7-3-3) had gone ahead on Marah Franke’s 15-yard blast from the left sideline into the upper corner of the net with just 12:20 left.

The Blue Devils almost won it in the closing seconds of the first overtime. Broeker slipped inside in front of the Hutch goal only to have her attempts for a game-winner blocked in a scrum and then another Blue Devil attempt was blocked by a leaping Colborn.

“At the beginning of the week playing three of the best teams in conference I was told we would be 2-0-1 I would have been happy,” Uhlenhake said. “With finals week and COVID testing, we had a lot on our plate. It was a great game and a fun game, Hutch is really good, the best overall team we’ve played. It was a great test for our team and they came through with a tie. It could have gone either way.”

The Blue Devils got a post-game bonus. The coach of U.S. National Women’s team, Viatko Andonovski, watched the game and talked briefly with the team after the game.

A diving attempt by Hutchinson goalkeeper Kambrian Colborn came too late to prevent Madison Broeker’s game-tying goal that pulled KCKCC into a 2-2 tie Saturday. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

KCKCC’s Maddy Broeker’s valiant attempt at a game-winning goal in the final seconds of the first overtime was turned away by Hutchinson defenders in a 2-2 tie Saturday (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

KCKCC to face Cowley in softball playoff in Topeka Saturday

Sophomore Bradi Basler homered twice Friday in KCKCC’s 16-9 loss to Johnson County. The homers were the 17th and 18th for Basler, who has driven in a team high 73 runs. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

While Johnson County’s homer-happy Cavaliers may have spoiled Kansas City Kansas Community College’s Sophomore Day on the field, they didn’t dull the post-game ceremonies honoring nine sophomores. Nor did the losses affect the Blue Devils’ post-season challenge.

Seeded No. 5, KCKCC (39-13) will play No. 4 Cowley College (33-17) Saturday at noon in first-round playoff action at Hummer Park in Topeka. No.1 Highland (41-7) will face No. 8 Hesston (20-22) in the tourney opener at 10 a.m. The first-round losers will clash at 2 p.m.; the winners at 4 p.m.

Friday’s Sophomore Day honorees included three “super sophomores,” sophs who played three seasons at KCKCC albeit the 2020 season was cut short by the COVID pandemic.

Third baseman Alaina Howe and centerfielder Devin Purcell, both of Eudora, and Piper right fielder Alexis Rymer, were regulars all three seasons. They were joined by twins Leah and Alyssa Seichepine of Leavenworth, Haley Masisak of Lansing, Alexandra Schafer of Lexington, Oklahoma, and Nerida Elson and Georgia Faunt, both of Auckland, New Zealand.

Introduced with parents or other significant others, each player was presented a team and individual photos and other assorted gifts; countless photos taken; and player embraces. A special award was made to assistant coach Jenn Strohman.

Johnson County pounded out six home runs, three in each game, in 6-0 and 17-8 wins Friday. The sweep evened the season series between the two teams, KCKCC having won 5-2 and 10-2 earlier. The Blue Devils closed out regular season play with a 39-13 record, the second most wins in a single season.

The Blue Devils managed just three hits off JCCC’s Kyla Etter in the 6-0 opener, singles by Bradi Basler, Jenna Daugherty and Alaina Howe. Breanna Droge (15-7) took the loss, allowing nine hits and six runs. She walked four and struck out four.

Two home runs by Basler, her 17th and 18th of the season, and four hits by Rymer were among the few highlights in the 16-9 nightcap. KCKCC took a 5-0 lead in the first on a 2-run double by Rymer and a 2-run single by Daugherty and Basler’s first home run in a 2-run second made it 7-0.

However, the Cavaliers scored three runs in the third and fourth and then wiped out an 8-6 deficit with eight runs in the sixth off Basler and two relievers.

The Blue Devils got their 38th and 39th wins of the season by sweeping Allen County 7-2 and 12-6 in Iola Thursday. Droge allowed just six hits and one earned run in the 7-2 opener. She struck out eight, walked none.

Savannah Maynard homered and Purcell doubled twice to lead the KCKCC offense. Daugherty and Howe chipped in with two hits and Basler and Rymer had doubles.

The Blue Devils pounded out four home runs and 18 hits in the 12-6 nightcap win. Basler had a pair of homers and three RBI; Purcell a home run, double and single and three RBI; and Rymer drove in a pair of runs with her 10th home run and single.

The Blue Devils also got doubles from Maurer and Howe. Basler got the pitching win, allowing six runs on eight hits. She struck out five, walked none.

Freshman Jenna Daugherty successfully stole second base in early action in KCKCC’s 6-0 opening loss to Johnson County Friday. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

Playing their final home at KCKCC Friday were three-year ‘super sophomores,’ front row, from left, Alaina Howe, Alexis Rymer and Devin Purcell; and second row, head coach Lana Ross, Nerida Elson, Georgia Faunt, Leah Seichepine, Alyssa Seichepine, Alexandra Schafer, Haley Masisak and assistant coach Jenn Strohman. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

Blue Devils finish third, to face Cloud in Liberal Friday

KCKCC third baseman Palmer Hutchison tagged out Coffeyville’s Jayden Kay in a rundown while Blue Devil shortstop Cole Dawson looked on as Coffeyville won the opener 8-3, KCKCC the second game 15-5. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

In years past, a third-place finish would assure Kansas City Kansas Community College a first-round home playoff berth in the Jayhawk Conference.

Now it’s not enough. Under a new playoff format, the first- and second-place teams in both the East and West Conference will hold four-team, double elimination pods with the winners advancing to Salina for the Region VI championship and a berth in the NJCAA Division I World Series.

As a result, the Blue Devils will play in the Seward County pod in Liberal Friday, May 14.

Seeded No. 6, KCKCC (18-12) will open against No. 11 Cloud County (17-15) at 3 p.m. while No. 2 Seward (20-12) will face No. 14 Neosho County (12-20) at noon.

Friday’s losers will then play an elimination game at 6 p.m. while the winners will meet Saturday at 1 p.m. Cowley County (27-5) and Johnson County (25-7) finished one-two in the East.

KCKCC wrapped up third place in the East with a 15-5 nightcap win Friday after Coffeyville had handed the Blue Devils a third straight defeat in the opener, 8-3. The Blue Devils finished Jayhawk play with an 18-12 record just ahead of Allen County (18-14) and Coffeyville (17-15). KCKCC will close out its home season Monday, as host of Hesston in a non-conference clash at 2 p.m.

Ray Paniagua had five hits including a grand slam home run and Cole Dawson drove in four runs with a double and two singles as the Blue Devils backed southpaw Trey Simmons and reliever Hunter Cashero with 14 hits to win the 8-inning 15-5 nightcap.

Simmons worked five innings, allowing four runs on six hits. He struck out six, walked four. Cashero pitched the final three frames, allowing just one hit and one run, a home run by Trey McClelland who had three on the day.

The Blue Devils jumped in front 4-1 in the first inning of the nightcap on two-out doubles by Dawson and Darius Freeman. Cole Slibowski’s home run triggered a 2-run fourth before KCKCC broke the game open with six runs in the fifth highlighted by Paniagua’s grand slam.

Caleb Brown, Caleb Adams and Dawson also had singles in the inning. Doubles by Paniagua and Dawson closed out the game with one out in a 3-run eighth.

KCKCC led the opener 2-1 through five innings only to have Coffeyville score five runs in the top of the sixth. McClelland tied the game with a one-out homer and the next five Ravens reached base, four on hits.

After giving up back-to-back doubles to start the game, KCKCC’s Gabriel Ramos (2-4) allowed only four hits before Coffeyville’s sixth inning explosion.

Dawson homered in the second to tie the game but the Blue Devils managed only three other hits – two singles by Adams and a double by Slibowski that led to a run in the seventh.