by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College softball fans got it all Wednesday – an offensive show and a pitcher’s duel.
After a 17-0 win over North Dakota School of Science in a 5-inning opener, the Blue Devils won a 2-1 nightcap behind the pitching of sophomore Faith Maslak.
The wins boosted the Blue Devils’ record to 5-3 heading into a series of four straight home doubleheaders starting Friday against Ellsworth. Cloud County comes in Saturday to open Jayhawk Conference play followed by Southwestern Iowa Sunday and North Arkansas Monday.
All three weekend twin bills will start at 2 p.m. with the North Ark games Monday starting at 1 p.m.
A righthander from Raymore, Maslak (1-1) gave up an unearned run in the first inning and then pitched shutout softball the rest of the way, scattering six hits and striking out nine.
The Blue Devils tied the game with a run in the fifth inning and then won it in the seventh on Hannah Redick’s single set up by a hit by Britney Smith and a walk to Brittney Beck. It was the third hit of the day for Redick.
The Blue Devils pounded out 14 hits in support of Mackenzie Pinkerton in the 17-0 opener. Pinkerton (2-2-1) allowed just three hits and struck out five in her first collegiate shutout.
The big inning was the fourth when the first 11 Blue Devils who came to the plate reached base and all scored.
Four Blue Devils had three hits each led by sophomore Kaylee Arnzen, who homered, doubled and singled and drove in four runs.
Alexis Rymer doubled and singled twice and Redick singled three times as each drove in three runs while Purcel had a pair of RBI’s with her three hits.
