by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Bouncing back with a doubleheader sweep after a four-game weekend split on the road, Kansas City Kansas Community College’s softball team is right back in action with eight games in the next seven days.
Home to Missouri Valley Friday at 1 p.m. at Steineger Field adjacent to Turner Middle School, the Blue Devils are also host to Fort Scott March 29, Ottawa March 30 and a University of Kansas Club team March 31.
The Blue Devils rebounded from two losses at Hutchinson with 13-3 and 12-3 home wins over Brown Mackie Tuesday. Brittany Gustin allowed just four hits and struck out five in the 5-inning 13-3 opener; Elizabeth Seimears followed with a 6-hitter in the nightcap.
Centerfielder Mekayla Guerrero paced a 10-hit attack in the opener with two singles, double and triple and three runs-batted-in while Megan Carlson singled and doubled. The Blue Devils scored three runs in each of the first three innings with Guerrero contributing singles in the first and second, a two-run triple in the third and a double in a four-run fourth.
‘Designated hitter Tiffany Killam led a 15-hit assault in the second game with a home run, two singles and three RBI while Morgan Oroke, Amy-Grace Wilson, Seimears and Guerrero each rapped a pair of singles. Killam put KCKCC ahead 1-0 in the first with a home run and then had two singles in a 9-run third that also included hits by Geena Harris, Wilson, Kaylynn Stratton, LaTisha Thomas, Guerrero, Killam and Oroke.
The Blue Devils opened the weekend with 11-10 and 11-8 wins at Hesston. After letting a 10-4 lead get away in the bottom of the seventh, the Blue Devils won the 11-10 opener in the eighth on a walk and back-to-back singles by Geena Harris and Megan Carlson. Trailing 3-1, KCKCC scored three runs in the sixth and six more in the seventh for the 10-4 led.
A grand slam home run by Harris highlighted the 6-run seventh. Harris also had three singles as did Oroke while Thomas, Carlson, Gustin and Stratton each had two hits. Gustin, who went the distance for the win, and Guerrero each drove in two runs with doubles.
The Blue Devils got home runs from Savannah Dungan, Tiffany Killam and Guerrero in the 11-8 nightcap. All three home runs came in a 5-run sixth that broke a 6-6 tie. Guerrero finished with five RBI and joined five other Blue Devils with two hits each – Thomas, Dungan, Harris, Seimears and Stratton.
The KCKCC bats were much quieter in 8-1 and 11-6 losses at Hutchinson. The Blue Devils managed just three singles in the 8-1 loss and three KCKCC hurlers were tagged for 21 hits in the second game. Guerrero drove in three runs with a double and triple and Wilson and Carlson each singled twice.