by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information
Powered by two pivotal Palmer Hutchison home runs, Kansas City Kansas Community College swept a doubleheader at Highland Saturday although needing a late-inning rally in the second game.
A sophomore from Hays, Hutchison’s grand slam homer in the first inning ignited a 14-4 opening game win and his solo shot in the eighth inning pulled the Blue Devils into a 6-6 tie and laid the foundation for a 11-6 win in the nightcap.
The wins vaulted the Blue Devils (9-7) into third place in the Jayhawk East just ahead of Coffeyville (10-8), Allen County (7-7) and Fort Scott (10-10). Home against Labette in a doubleheader Monday, the Blue Devils play at Neosho County Thursday and at home Saturday. All have 1 p.m. starting times.
KCKCC trailed 6-5 in the second game at Highland before Hutchison’s game-tying blast to right-center in the eighth. Once even, the Blue Devils scored five times in the ninth on five straight one-out hits. After singles by Cole Silbowski. Cole Dawson and Caleb Adams loaded the bases, Raymond Paniagua singled in the go-ahead run and Brendyn Bard doubled in two more. Camden Karlin completed the inning with an RBI single.
Five Blue Devils had two hits in a 14-hit attack – Dawson, Adams, Paniagua, Bard and Hutchison. Trailing 3-2, Darius Freeman gave KCKCC the lead with a 2-run double in the third. Hunter Cashero (2-0) got the win, allowing two hits and one run in three innings in relief of starter Tyler Kapraun before Gabriel Ramos struck out the side for his first save,
Hutchison’s grand slam got KCKCC in front 4-0 with two out in the first inning of the opener; Paniagua capped the 14-4 win with a 3-run home run in the sixth and final inning. Silbowski had four singles and Beau Grable three to lead a 14-hit attack. Paniagua and Hutchinson added two hits each.
The Blue Devils went ahead 8-0 in the third on singles by Silbowski, Paniagua, Bard and Grable, all with two out. Chase Terrell (2-0) got the win with 2.2 innings of two-hit relief after starter Sebastian Velez was touched for four hits and three runs in 3.1 innings.