KJCCC suspends all springs sports through April 1 because of COVID-19
by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College will play for the NJCAA Division II men’s national basketball championship – but not before April 20.
The Division II national tournament was scheduled to begin next Tuesday in Danville, Illinois.
“In light of recent developments regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the NJCAA has made the decision to postpone championships for the upcoming DI and DII men’s and women’s basketball tournaments,” the NJCAA announced Thursday. “Originally scheduled to begin the week of March16, the four upcoming national championships will aim for a tentative start of Monday, April 20.”
Meanwhile, other KCKCC spring sports – baseball, softball and golf – will be suspended until April 1.
“Based on the latest developments and continued spread of the coronavirus, the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) with support from the conference President’s Council, is cancelling all regular season competition for all teams effective Friday, March 13, through April 1,” the conference announced.
“This time will allow everyone to assess the current situation and plan accordingly. Member colleges and the media will be kept updated through this time as we navigate through this.”
The Blue Devil baseball team currently has five doubleheaders and two single games scheduled in March while the softball team was slated for nine doubleheaders between March 13 and March 31. If the season is resumed April 1, baseball will have 13 remaining playing dates; the softball team 14 twin bills. However, some games canceled in March may be rescheduled.
Freshman Bradi Basler blasted a 3-run home run that broke an 8-8 tie and propelled KCKCC to a 16-8 win over Ellsworth Wednesday. Basler also doubled twice and drove in five runs but was the losing pitcher in a 6-2 inning second game loss. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins) Freshman Leah Seichepine was safe by an eyelash on a bunt single in KCKCC’s four-run sixth inning that closed out a 16-8 win over Ellsworth Wednesday, However, the Panthers broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh for a 6-2 nightcap win. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)
by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College staged its biggest comeback of the softball season Wednesday,
Spotting Ellsworth an 8-0 lead in the first inning, the Blue Devils scored 11 runs in the final three innings for a 16-8 win. However, it was Ellsworth that rallied in the nightcap for a 6-2 win.
The split left the Blue Devils 7-7 heading into a week of the unknown because of the coronavirus. Rain forced a doubleheader with Fort Scott scheduled for Thursday to be postponed until March 25 and a weekend trip to the Crowder Tournament slated for Fayetteville, Arkansas, was canceled.
Next up is a scheduled home doubleheader Tuesday against North Dakota College of Science at 1-3 p.m. although the addition of home games over the weekend has not been ruled out.
Outstanding relief pitching by sophomore Shay Grosstephan and a tie-breaking 3-run home run by freshman Bradi Basler propelled the Blue Devils to their 16-8 win.
Grosstephan (3-2) came on with two out in the bottom of the first inning and allowed only three base runners and one hit the final 5 1/3 innings. She struck out four, walked one.
Tied 8-8, Basler’s home run in the fifth inning came after singles by Leah Seichepine and Devin Purcell. The Blue Devils added a fourth run on Alexis Rymer’s run-scoring double and then ended the game in the sixth with four more runs on five straight hits – singles by Jennica Messer, Seichepine, Purcell and Madison Pope and a double by Basler.
Basler finished with two doubles and a home run and five RBI while Rymer doubled and singled twice and drove in three. Messer and Seichepine also had three hits and Purcell had a pair of singles in an 18-hit attack.
The Blue Devils’ comeback started with a 5-run second inning ignited by four straight hits – singles by Rymer, Abby Henson, Messer and Seichpine and capped by a 2-run single by Grosstephan. KCKCC then pulled even in the fourth on doubles by Basler and Hannah Redick and 2-run single by Rymer.
Ellsworth’s 8-run first came against sophomore MacKenzie Pinkerton, who was making her first start of the season. Only two of the runs were earned off Pinkerton, who gave up six hits and walked two. The big blows were a 2-run home run by Gintare Paskocimaite and a grand slam by Mya Mathes.
Ellsworth won the second game by breaking a 2-2 deadlock with a pair of home runs in the top of the seventh. Sidney Larson broke the tie with a 3-run blast and Paskocimaite followed with a solo shot.
Held scoreless the first four innings, the Panthers got their first run in the fifth on a double by Larson and then tied it without a two-out double in the sixth.
The Blue Devils were held to just four hits by Katy Payne, who left the bases loaded to end the game. KCKCC took a 1-0 lead in the first on a Purcell single, stolen base and Basler ground ball and made it 2-0 on Seichpine’s 2-out triple in the second.
However, Payne escaped a bases-loaded, one out jam in the third and then retired the next 10 Blue Devils in order. Basler (4-4) took the loss, allowing 12 hits but stranding eight runners on base. She struck out four.
The NJCAA announced today that it was postponing national championship events for the upcoming Division I and II men’s and women’s basketball tournaments because of COVID-19.
The decision affects the Kansas City Kansas Community College men’s basketball team, which is in the Division II national tournament.
Originally scheduled for the week of March 16, the national championship events have been postponed until a start date of Monday, April 20, according to the announcement.
Dr. Christopher Parker, NJCAA president and CEO, expressed his sentiments regarding the situation, “Due to the concerns surrounding the safety and security of our student-athletes and those involved with Division I and Division II NJCAA championships, we are postponing the tournaments and maintaining a fluid mentality to see these tournaments take place with a tentative start date.
“We have two main objectives in this situation – first and foremost is to protect the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, college personnel, and fans. Second is to make sure our student-athletes receive the national championship experience that they have worked so hard for.”
