Blue Devils home Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, all at WyCo Sports Complex
by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College rode a near flawless pitching performance by Brittany Gustin to a sweep of Missouri Valley Friday.
A sophomore righthander from Raytown, Gustin pitched a no-hitter in a 5-inning 10-0 win in the opener and then threw four more innings of hitless relief in a 12-2 win in the nightcap. Just to add to her big day, Gustin belted a 2-run home run in the nightcap.
“Brittany pitched very well for throwing three days in a row, then having one day off and then pitching two more,” said KCKCC coach Kacy Tillery.
The Blue Devils also got a big performance from sophomore Tiffany Killam, who had two home runs and five runs-batted-in in the opener and a three-run homer in the nightcap.
“In eight games this week, Tiffany had six home runs, 21 RBI’s and batted .648,” Tillery said.
The sweep extended the Lady Blue Devils’ winning streak to six and nine wins in their last 11 games heading into three straight home games this week, all at WyCo Sports Complex. Jayhawk rival Fort Scott will come in Tuesday and Ottawa junior varsity Wednesday, both at 2 and 4 p.m. On Thursday, KCKCC will host a University of Kansas Club team under the WyCo lights at 6 and 8 p.m.
Killam drove in the first five runs in the opener with a 2-run homer in the first and a 3-run round-tripper in the second and Geena Harris led off the third with a solo home run for a 6-0 lead. The Blue Devils put the game out of reach in the fourth with four runs that included run-scoring doubles by Morgan Oroke, Megan Carlson and Kennedy Rasmussen and an RBI single by Gustin. Carlson finished with three hits and Harris, Oroke and Killiam two each in a 14-hit attack.
Gustin, who struck out eight and allowed only one runner on a hit batsman in the opener, came on in relief after a leadoff home run in the second inning and gave up one walk and struck out two in four hitless innings.
Geene Harris drove in four runs in the nightcap with a triple and double, Kaylynn Stratton rapped out three singles and Gustin, Rasmussen and LaTisha Thomas each had two hits in the nightcap. Killiam’s 3-run home run in the first gave KCKCC a 3-1 lead and Harris doubled in two more runs in the second after a walk and Mekayla Guerero single. Stratton’s single and Thomas’ double made it 6-2 in the third and the Blue Devils scored six more runs in the fourth. Harris tripled in two, Gustin homered with a runner on and Carlson, Rasmussen, and Stratton had singles.