by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Bouncing back after a 3-2 extra inning loss on Saturday, Kansas City Kansas Community College swept the final three games of the Blue Devils’ season opening series.
The Blue Devils defeated Marshalltown 8-3 after the 3-2 loss Saturday, then swept Metropolitan 8-3 and 7-3 on Sunday. The Blue Devils are right back in action Tuesday when they play host to State Fair at 1 and 3 p.m. At Crowder Thursday, KCKCC is also home Friday against No. 9 ranked Kirkwood.
Back-to-back doubles with two out in the top of the eighth inning scored the winning run in Marshalltown’s 3-2 win. The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the third inning on two singles and an error. The Blue Devils got one run back in the third on two errors and then tied it in the fifth on a triple by Leah Seichepine and Hannah Redick’s single.
Freshman Bradi Basler of Lansing was the hard-luck loser, allowing just five hits and two earned runs in eight innings. She struck out 12, walked three. Jennica Messer and Seichepine each had two of KCKCC’s six hits.
“I don’t know if it was first game jitters but we just weren’t tuned in offensively,” KCKCC coach Lana Ross said. “Our pitching was good and the hitting improved the next three games.”
Lansing twins Leah and Alyssa Seichepine powered the Blue Devils to their first win, combining for six hits and four RBI in the 8-3 win over Marshalltown. Leah had four hits and drove in one run; Allyssa drove in three with a pair of hits.
Alaina Howe and Devin Purcell each added a pair of singles and Abby Henson a double.
Trailing 3-0, KCKCC tied the game in the second. After singles by Howe and Purcell, Alyssa Seichepine singled in two runs and Leah Seichepine the third.
The Blue Devils then went ahead 6-3 in the third, scoring three times on hits by Messer, Purcell and Alyssa Seichepine and added two more runs in the fifth on a double by Henson and single by Howe.
Sophomore Shay Grosstephan got the win, allowing five hits and two earned runs in six innings. She struck out five, walked four before freshman Nerida Elson pitched a scoreless seventh. Grosstephan also got the win in KCKCC’s 8-3 win over Metropolitan Sunday, scattering 10 hits over 6 1/3 innings before Basler finished up.
Piper sophomore Alexis Rymer drove in three runs with a second-inning single and a two-run home run in the third while Basler belted a solo home run and singled twice to drive in a pair. Henson and Messer each doubled and singled and Redick singled twice in a 12-hit attack.
Singles by Messer, Henson and Rymer scored KCKCC’s first two runs in the second and the Blue Devils went ahead 6-0 in the third highlighted by an RBI double by Henson and Rymer’s 2-run homer.
The first five Blue Devils to come to the plate reached base in Sunday’s 7-3 second game win. After singles by Purcell and Leah Seichepine and a walk loaded the bases, Grosstephan singled in two runs, Redick singled in the third and Henson’s squeeze bunt scored the fourth. Grosstephan led offensively with three hits and three RBI while Redick drove in a pair of runs with two hits.
Basler (1-1) got her first pitching win, allowing five hits and three runs over seven innings. She struck out 11, walked one.