by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College’s softball team finally got some good weather Thursday and made the most of it, sweeping a doubleheader from Cloud County.
Kaylee Arnzen and Jennifer Mullins combined to drive in 11 runs in a 15-1 opening game win; Shannon Brown provided all the offense in a come-from-behind 3-2 second game.
Following the first Jayhawk Conference sweep of the season for the Blue Devils (9-15), KCKCC is home Tuesday against Fort Scott at 2 and 4 p.m. and then KCKCC will go to Hutchinson Wednesday for a doubleheader originally scheduled for Saturday. A doubleheader at Hesston has also been rescheduled for April 20.
A sophomore outfielder from McLouth, Brown drove in all the runs in the 3-2 nightcap win. After Cloud had taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth, Arnzen singled and Brown tied it with a two-run home run and then drove in what proved to be the winning run with a one-out single in the bottom of the sixth after KCKCC had loaded the bases on three walks.
The rally enabled another McLouth sophomore, Shannon Greene, to get pitching wins in both games.
Starter Faith Maslak gave up just three singles in the first four innings before Cloud went ahead 2-0 on a single, hit batsman and a two-run triple by Autumn Adams in the fifth. Greene pitched the last two innings, striking out three including the final two hitters after Cloud had put the tying run on third with one out.
Arnzen hit her 10th and 11th home runs, doubled and drove in six runs in the 5-inning first game while Mullins drove in five with a triple and two singles. After Cloud scored an unearned run in the first, Greene blanked the Thunderbirds on six hits.
After singles by Kali Jacobson and Mullins in the first inning, Arnzen doubled for a 2-0 lead and then hammered two-run home runs in the third and fourth innings.
Mullins had the big blow in a 3-run second inning, a two-run double and scored on a Lauren Scott double, then tripled with the bases loaded in a 6-run third and scored on Arnzen’s first home run.
A single by Brittney Beck and double by Aspen Salinas set on Mullins’ three-run triple while Arnzen’s second home run capped a 4-run fourth.