by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
A pair of outstanding pitching performances by Shay Grosstephan and Faith Maslak led Kansas City Kansas Community College to a pair of one-run wins that went right down to the wire Wednesday,
The Blue Devils scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to rally to a 4-3 win over Southeast Community College of Beatrice, Nebraska, and then stranded the tying run on third in a 2-1 second game win.
The wins boosted the Blue Devils’ record to 17-7. The Blue Devils will resume Jayhawk Conference play at Hesston Sunday at 2 and 4 p.m. They’ll then play North Central Missouri in Trenton Monday and then return home against North Central on Tuesday.
A freshman from Girard, Kansas, Grosstephan (7-1) not only got the pitching win but drove in the winning run in the 4-3 opener and then got a save in the second game.
“Shay had a phenomenal day, a win and four hits in the first game and then getting the final out in the second game,” KCKCC coach Lana Ross said. “She had came in cold and pitched lights out and then had the game-winning hit. And Faith pitched very well in the second game, mixing up her pitches and getting hitters to pop up.”
Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh in the first game, Basehor-Linwood sophomore Britney Smith led off the inning with a triple and scored the game tying run on Hannah Redick’s single.
Inserted as a pinch runner, Turner sophomore Gracie Gentry stole second and scored the game-winner on Grosstephan’s single, her fourth hit and second RBI of the game. Devin Purcell and Grosstephan each had doubles and Brittney Beck drove in the Blue Devils’ other run.
Mackenzie Pinkerton started on the mound for KCKCC, allowing two runs on three hits, walking one and striking out before Grosstephan came on in relief in the third inning. She gave up three hits and an unearned run while fanning three and walking two.
Maslak, a sophomore from Raymore, Missouri, allowed just four hits and had a shutout until Southeast scored an unearned run in the top of the seventh of the second game. With the tying run on third, Grosstephan got a ground ball to second to end the game. Maslak walked one and struck out two in improving her record to 5-1.
The Blue Devils scored their two runs in the third inning on a double by Hannah Redick and singles by Devin Purcell and Alexis Rymer.