Category: KCKCC

No. 6 Johnson County holds off Blue Devil rallies, 73-65

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

No. 6 Johnson County took Round One in the battle for Jayhawk Conference basketball superiority, holding off Kansas City Kansas Community College 73-65 in Overland Park Saturday.

The win in the Jayhawk opener for both teams was the ninth against one loss for the Cavaliers while the Blue Devils (7-6) had a five-game winning streak come to an end. KCKCC now returns for a pair of home games against Hesston Wednesday and Highland Saturday afternoon.

JCCC broke open a tight game midway through the second half by draining three consecutive 3-pointers in a 1:07 span of a minute and seven seconds to open a 54-40 lead and then repulsed a late KCKCC comeback. Twice the Blue Devils got within six points at 65-59 and 67-61 in the final two minutes but missed a chance to get even closer by missing three straight free throws and the Cavaliers protected their lead with six consecutive foul shots in the final 30 seconds.

Poor free throwing proved costly for the Blue Devils, who made only 4-of-13 for 30,8 percent although nothing seemed to fall – 27-of-75 field goal attempts for 36 percent and 7-of-28 from 3-pont (.250). The Cavaliers were .431 from the field, .348 from 3-point.

“They got out to an early lead and we answered back,” KCKCC coach Brandon Burgette said. “But we didn’t do a good job of guarding or building on our momentum from our last game. We weren’t ourselves; we did not play Blue Devil basketball. When we did play good defense, we struggled to convert.”

Deron McDaniel had 19 points and six rebounds and Caleb Jones 16 points and a near double with nine rebounds to lead KCKCC. Trey Bates added seven points and Shaylon Janloo and Robert Rhodes six each. Rhodes also had eight rebounds.

Led by Jaland Whitehead’s 14 rebounds, JCCC won the board battle 45-39. The Blue Devils had just seven turnovers while forcing a dozen.

“In this conference you can’t have off nights and tonight was one of those,” Burgette said. “We have to be more disciplined and tough during the tough times of the year.”

In other action Saturday, No. 15 Fort Scott stunned No. 4 Highland 57-51 while Labette’s game at Hesston was postponed.

No. 9 Kirkwood hands Blue Devils first softball losses

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

Kirkwood lived up to its No. 9 national softball ranking Sunday, dealing Kansas City Kansas Community College its first losses of the season.

Trailing 11-9, the Eagles (9-2) scored 11 runs in the top of the seventh inning for a 21-11 win in the opening game and then completed a sweep with a 10-4 nightcap win. The losses left the Blue Devils 4-2 heading into a series of three weekend doubleheaders against Southwestern Iowa Friday, Central Nebraska Saturday and Ellsworth Sunday, all at 1-3 p.m.

Trailing 7-2 in the opener, the Blue Devils went ahead 9-7 with a 7-run fourth inning and had an 11-9 lead heading in the disastrous seventh. Bradi Basler took the loss, giving up 15 runs on 16 hits before giving way to Nerida Elson in the seventh.

Alexis Rymer led KCKCC offensively, driving in five runs with a pair of home runs. Hannah Maurer also homered with a runner on while Basler and Devin Purcell had a pair of hits.

Kirkwood built a 7-1 lead before KCKCC scored three times in the fifth in the 10-4 nightcap loss. Purcell and Basler each had two hits with Basler driving in two runs and Purcell one for the Blue Devils.

Freshman Breanna Droge went the 7-inning distance on the mound, allowing 16 hits, striking out four and walking five.

Blue Devils limited to five hits in two losses to Barton

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

Barton County pitchers slammed the door on Kansas City Kansas Community College hitters in sweeping a doubleheader Saturday.

The Blue Devils were limited to three hits in an opening 15-7 loss and just two singles in a 6-0 blanking in the nightcap. The loss left KCKCC 2-3 heading into Jayhawk Conference play at Butler County Thursday. The two teams then conclude the 4-game series at home Saturday.

The Blue Devils scored seven runs on just three hits in the15-7 opener. Palmer Hutchinson belted a two-run home run in the first inning, his second in two days. Caleb Adams singled in a run in a 3-run third and Braden Vawter doubled and scored in the eighth.

Barton jumped in front early, scoring four runs on four hits in the first and five runs on just one hit in the second. Alan Mercado gave up five hits and nine runs (three unearned) before Camden Karlin pitched 3.1 strong innings, allowing three hits, one run and striking out seven. Logan Bernard and Joseph Reyes finished up, each allowing two hits.

Camden Karlin and Cole Dawson had the only KCKCC hits in the 6-0 second game as just five Blue Devils reached base. Gabriel Ramos worked the first four innings, giving up four runs on four hits while striking out seven and walking three. Hunter Cashero pitched the final three innings, allowing two runs on three hits.

Home runs accounted for the first four Barton runs. Connor Scott hit a 2-run round tripper in the second; Conner Allen hammered his third home run in three games in the fourth; and Alex Rodgers had a solo blast in the fifth. Zach Johnson worked the first five innings for the win.