by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College ran into a softball buzz saw at Crowder College in Neosho, Missouri, Tuesday.
Held to just four hits, the Blue Devils dropped 10-2 and 12-1 decisions and fell to 5-3 heading into another difficult test Friday when they play host to No. 9 ranked Kirkwood in a 2-4 p.m. doubleheader.
Crowder, meanwhile, stretched its winning streak to 13 in a row and improved its record to 19-1. The Roughriders are currently ranked 17th in the most recent NJCAA DI national rankings.
Devin Purcell and Abby Henson had the only Blue Devil hits in the 10-2 opener as Crowder’s Bailey Buffington struck out 11 and allowed no earned runs. The Roughriders backed her with 14 hits, seven for extra bases. Leading 2-0, Crowder broke the game open with five runs in the third off Shay Grosstephan and closed it out with three runs off Nerida Elson in the sixth.
Bradi Basler and Jennica Messer each doubled in the Blue Devils’ 12-1 loss in the 5-inning second game. Crowder scored in every inning in support of Sydney Ward, who struck out four and walked one in four innings. Basler took the pitching loss.
The games were the first between the two teams this season. They’ll meet again at KCKCC Tuesday, April 14.