by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information
Kirkwood lived up to its No. 9 national softball ranking Sunday, dealing Kansas City Kansas Community College its first losses of the season.
Trailing 11-9, the Eagles (9-2) scored 11 runs in the top of the seventh inning for a 21-11 win in the opening game and then completed a sweep with a 10-4 nightcap win. The losses left the Blue Devils 4-2 heading into a series of three weekend doubleheaders against Southwestern Iowa Friday, Central Nebraska Saturday and Ellsworth Sunday, all at 1-3 p.m.
Trailing 7-2 in the opener, the Blue Devils went ahead 9-7 with a 7-run fourth inning and had an 11-9 lead heading in the disastrous seventh. Bradi Basler took the loss, giving up 15 runs on 16 hits before giving way to Nerida Elson in the seventh.
Alexis Rymer led KCKCC offensively, driving in five runs with a pair of home runs. Hannah Maurer also homered with a runner on while Basler and Devin Purcell had a pair of hits.
Kirkwood built a 7-1 lead before KCKCC scored three times in the fifth in the 10-4 nightcap loss. Purcell and Basler each had two hits with Basler driving in two runs and Purcell one for the Blue Devils.
Freshman Breanna Droge went the 7-inning distance on the mound, allowing 16 hits, striking out four and walking five.