KCKCC again posts 4-game sweep of Jayhawk leader

by Alan Hoskins

The streaking Blue Devils of Kansas City Kansas Community College have done it again.

For the second time in two weeks, KCKCC has swept a four-game set with a team that entered the series holding down first place in the Jayhawk Conference.

Following up on 2-0 and 4-3 wins at home Friday, the Blue Devils went to Coffeyville Saturday and stretched their winning streak to 10 in a row with 6-1 and 6-4 wins that pulled them to even in the Jayhawk at 10-10 and 17-15 overall while dropping the Red Ravens from first (15-1) into a tie for third at 15-5.

game sweep of previously unbeaten Cowley, which regained a tie for first in the conference Saturday with a doubleheader win over Johnson County. 4.

KCKCC’s wins set up another big week for the Blue Devils, who play host to Maple Woods Tuesday and Brown Mackie Wednesday, both at 2 p.m., before entering a pivotal four-game series with Independence – at Indy Thursday and home Saturday at 1 and 3:30 p.m.

At 12-8, Indy is fifth in the Jayhawk two games ahead of KCKCC.

Tied 1-1 after seven innings of the opener at Coffeyville, the Blue Devils lashed out four straight hits in scoring five times in the top of the eighth for the 6-1 win.

After walks to Lucas Norton and Garrett McKinzie, Christian Arnold squeezed the go-ahead run home with a bunt single.

Daniel LaMunyon singled to load the bases before Eric Hinostroza singled in a run and Tyler Raymond delivered two more runs with a double.

Tanner Foerschler’s sacrifice fly got the final run home.

KCKCC’s only run up until the eighth came in the first when Sam Baxter singled, went to third on a pair of walks and scored on a balk.

Sophomore E.J. Merlo turned in his best pitching performance of the season for the win, allowing just four hits and no earned runs in going the 8-inning route. He struck out two and walked one. The only Coffeyville run came in the third on a two-base error, sacrifice and ground ball. Only one runner reached as far as second the final five innings as Merlo retired 14 of the final 17 hitters faced.

The Blue Devils scored all their runs after two were out in the 6-4 nightcap win. The big outburst came in the third, a 4-run uprising that erased a 2-0 Coffeyville lead.

Sam Baxter drove in the first run with a double after Lucas was hit with a pitch with two out. Baxter then scored the tying run on a wild pitch before Daniel LaMunyon put the Blue Devils in front 4-2 with a 2-run double.

What proved to be the winning runs came in the fifth.  McKinzie and Arnold were both hit by pitches with one out and with two out, McKInzie scored on a two-base error and Hinostroza singled in the second run for a 6-2 lead.

Southpaw Cole Frakes got the win with stellar relief help from Jonathan Mays and Derek Watkins. Coffeyville took its 2-0 lead in the second on a single, double and two-out error.

Frakes left in the fifth after giving up back-to-back walks with one out. Mays came on in relief and after giving up a two-run double, retired five of the final six hitters he faced and Watkins finished up, setting down the Ravens in order after giving up a leadoff single.

Red flag warning in effect

A red flag warning and wind advisory are in effect through 7 p.m. Sunday.

The warning  means there is a critical fire danger this afternoon as southerly winds develop.

Residents are asked to avoid outdoor burning.

There is a potential of winds from 25 to 28 mph with gusts up to 43 mph. Relative humidity levels will drop to 25 percent, and along with dry fuels and vegetation, it means a danger of fire.

Today’s high will be 76.

Tonight, there is a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms here, after 4 a.m. and before 7 a.m.

 

Sporting KC rallies for 3-2 road win at Rapids

Dom Dwyer
Graham Zusi

Sporting Kansas City forward Dom Dwyer scored in the second minute of second-half stoppage time to give Sporting Kansas City a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rapids on Saturday.

Goals from Graham Zusi and Benny Feilhaber canceled out a pair of penalty kicks from Colorado Rapids midfielder Vicente Sanchez as Sporting Kansas City earned their first regular season win at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park with more than 800 traveling supporters in attendance.

Across all competitions, Manager Peter Vermes is now 6-0-5 during his coaching career against the Rapids and Sporting Kansas City is unbeaten in the team’s last 11 matches in the series.

The first three shots of the match all came in front of Rapids rookie goalkeeper John Berner. The St. Louis, Mo. native came off his line in the 13th minute to thwart Paulo Nagamura.

The ensuing corner kick from Graham Zusi connected with Sal Zizzo at the far post, however his header was off target. Ike Opara threatened then with a header of his own five minutes later off a Matt Besler throw-in only to see it carry over the crossbar.

The Rapids responded in the 22nd minute through Sanchez. The Uruguayan playmaker evaded Oriol Rosell and slipped a pass to Nick LaBrocca inside the six-yard box. The first-time shot had Eric Kronberg beaten but was cleared in front of the goalline by Besler.

Kronberg made two saves in as many minutes to deny Colorado the game’s opening goal.

In the 30th minute, he dove low to his left to corral a free kick from Dillon Powers only to then be tested by Edson Buddle moments later that required a sprawling stop to his right on a shot from 20 yards out.

After a scoreless first half, Saturday’s contest came to life with five goals in the second half. Sporting Kansas City took the lead in the 50th minute on a well-worked combination that started with Paulo Nagamura’s through ball for Zizzo on the right flank. The Sporting KC newcomer delivered a pinpoint pass for Zusi to tap in at the backpost.

With the goal, Sporting Kansas City improves to 14-0-1 in MLS competition when Zusi scores. The sixth-year pro will now join the U.S. Men’s National Team, along with Besler, for Wednesday’s international friendly against Mexico.

Sporting Kansas City’s lead would last only 10 minutes as Colorado was awarded the first of two penalty kicks on the night. Sanchez stepped to the spot and powered his penalty kick off the hand of Kronberg but into the back of the net.

Aurelien Collin replaced Opara due to injury before the restart and nearly scored on his first touch of the game. Zizzo’s volley from outside the area came to Collin inside a congested penalty area and was re-directed just wide of the far post with a hopeful backheel.

Powers came close for Colorado in the 73rd minute on a cross from Shane O’Neill and five minutes later it was O’Neill who was brought down inside the penalty area to set up the Rapids fifth penalty kick in their opening three games of the season. Sanchez again proved successful, converting his fourth PK of 2014 to take the lead in the Major League Soccer goal scoring chart.

Sixty seconds later, Sporting Kansas City equalized through the foot of Feilhaber. Zusi’s left-footed cross was met at the backpost by Zizzo, who played a header back toward the goalmouth. Feilhaber’s persistence paid off, sending his shot off the hand of Berner and across the line with a second attempt.

Colorado would play the game’s final 10 minutes shorthanded after Marvel Wynne was sent off upon receiving his second caution of the match in the 85th minute. Sporting Kansas City capitalized on the advantage and it was Dwyer that provided the offensive spark after entering in the 83rd minute.

His first shot of the game curled inches wide of the far post in the 88th minute and his second was the game-winning goal in the 92nd minute. Feilhaber split two Rapids players with a pass centrally to Zusi, who spun and fed Dwyer at the left corner of the 18-yard box.

Dwyer dribbled at Rapids captain Drew Moor, creating enough space to unleash a shot beneath the crossbar and into the top of the netting at the near post for his second straight MLS match with the game-winning goal.

Sporting Kansas City, atop the Eastern Conference pending other Week 4 results, will next play host to Real Salt Lake at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, in an MLS Cup rematch at Sporting Park.