by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Coming off a split at Allen County Thursday, Kansas City Kansas Community College will honor the late Mike Haen prior to the Blue Devils’ home doubleheader Saturday.
The Blue Devils held off Allen County for a 9-7 win but left the 9-inning nightcap on the bases in a 6-1 setback at Iola. The split kept the Blue Devils (18-8) in second place in the Jayhawk East two games back of Neosho County (20-6) and two games ahead of Allen and Johnson County, both 16-10; and three in front of Cowley and Fort Scott, both 15-11.
Prior to Saturday’s home twin bill with Allen County, the family of Mike Haen will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at 12:45 p.m. Named head KCKCC baseball coach in 1978, Haen was accidentally shot and killed while serving as a reserve police officer.
A popular instructor at KCKCC where he taught in the Social Science Division, the KCK Police Academy bears the name of Dr. Michael Haen Police Academy. Haen’s widow, Joanne Haen of KCK; their three children, Pier, Micah and Nichole; and other family members are expected for the first pitch.
Standout relief pitching by freshman Avery Fliger saved KCKCC in its opener at Allen County. Fliger came on after Allen had scored three runs to cut the KCKCC lead to 7-6 and slammed the door on the Red Devils, allowing only three hits and one runs in four innings. The only run off Fliger came on a leadoff home run by Torrence Sumerlin in the seventh.
Eli Lovell swung the big bat for the Blue Devils, driving in four runs with a two-run double, two-run home run and a single while Drew Holtgrieve and Chase Redick each homered.
Three of the home runs came in a 4-run first inning, Redick led off the game with a home run, Lovell hit a 2-run shot and Holtgrieve a solo round tripper. Lovell helped the Blue Devils open a 7-1 lead with a 2 run double following the first of two singles by Conor Behrens and a walk and later scored on a ground ball. Singles by Albert Woodard and Behrens added an insurance run in the sixth and the Blue Devils got another on two Allen errors in the seventh.
The Blue Devils rapped out a dozen hits in the nightcap but left 11 runners on base. KCKCC had at least one hit in every inning but one only to have Allen’s Jake Butterfield turn back every scoring opportunity but one, mainly with nine strikeouts and a defense that turned two double plays.
“He pitched well,” said KCKCC coach Matt Goldbeck.
The Blue Devils’ lone run came in the second on singles by Zach Mahoney, Easton Fortuna and Redick. Woodard, Fortuna, Redick and Ryan Fisher had two singles each for the Blue Devils, who were without an extra base hit for the first time this season. Brandon Reid took the loss, giving up single runs in each of the first three innings and a pair of home runs in a 3-run fifth.