by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College traded doubleheader softball splits with North Central Missouri Monday and Tuesday.
Blanked 5-0 in the opening game, the Blue Devils won an 8-inning 5-2 thriller in the second game at Trenton Monday. KCKCC made it two in a row with a 5-4 home win in Tuesday’s first game but the Blue Devils were blanked 2-0 in the nightcap.
The Blue Devils (20-10) swing back into Jayhawk Conference play Thursday, playing host to Allen County at 2 and 4 p.m. before beginning a stretch of four doubleheaders in four days. At Neosho County Saturday at noon and 2 p.m., the Blue Devils are at Metropolitan-Maple Woods Sunday, home against Fort Scott Monday and at Park University junior varsity Tuesday.
KCKCC scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning in the 5-2 win at North Central Missouri Monday. Loading the bases on singles by Alexis Rymer, Mackenzie Pinkerton and Jennica Messer with one out, the Blue Devils went ahead 3-2 on a passed ball and scored two more on Hannah Redick’s two-run single. KCKCC’s first runs came in fourth when Alaina Howe belted a game-tying two-run home run.
The rally made a winner out of Mackenzie Pinkerton (6-6), who scattered seven hits, walked two and struck out two in going the 8-inning route. The Blue Devils were limited to singles by Kaylee Arnzen, Rymer and Brittney Beck in the opening game 5-0 loss. Shay Grosstephan suffered only her second loss in 10 decisions, allowing eight hits, walking one and fanning one.
However, Grosstephen (9-2) came back to get the win in Tuesday’s first game at home. Grosstephan allowed nine hits and four runs over six innings before Pinkerton came on to set the Pirates down in order in the seventh inning in the 5-4 win.
Not only did Pinkerton get the save, she drove in three runs with a pair of singles. Reddick and Rymer each doubled and singled and Grosstephan singled twice. Trailing 3-1, the Blue Devils went ahead with a run in the fourth and two in the fifth and got what proved to be the winning run in the sixth.
North Central won the nightcap 2-0 by limiting the Blue Devils to seven hits, three by Rymer who doubled and singled twice. Pinkerton, Redick, Devin Purcell and Britney Smith had the other hits. Pinkerton (6-7) took the loss, allowing 10 hits and walking one.