Stratton 10-for-10 as every starter has at least four hits; Highland here on Tuesday
by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College rolled out the bats in record fashion Thursday, pounding out 57 hits in a softball sweep of State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Missouri.
The Lady Blue Devils pounded out 26 hits in a 12-6 win in the opener and then added 31 more in a 19-5 nightcap win that needed only five innings.
The wins boosted the KCKCC record to 8-2 heading into Jayhawk Conference play next Tuesday when the Blue Devils are hosts to Highland, one of the odds-on favorites in the conference. First pitch will be at 1 p.m.
“We obviously hit the ball well and Megan Sumonja came on to pitch well in relief,” KCKCC coach Kacy Tillery said. “Now we need to continue to deliver against one of the very best teams in the conference Tuesday.” The two wins gave KCKCC a four-game sweep of State Fair including a come-from-behind 2-1 win this past Tuesday.
Kaylynn Stratton, a sophomore outfielder from Turner, led the way with a KCKCC record 10 hits in 10 plate appearances in the two games. Rapping out five hits in each game, her record assault included a double, two triples and six runs-batted-in.
Every Blue Devil starter had at least four hits in the two games and four blasted home runs in the nightcap. The biggest was a grand slam by Sam Sudac while Allison Kasick, Mikaela Hoffart and Candice Jennings hit back-to-back-to-back homers in a 9-run fifth inning in the second game..
Catcher Amy-Grace Wilson had eight hits in the doubleheader, four singles in each game, and Kasick was a perfect 5-for-5 in the nightcap, finishing with seven hits and six RBI. Blue Devils with six hits included Hannah Bishop with one double and four RBI; and Katherina Stringer and Candice Jennings with six singles each.
Hoffart drove in five runs with her home run and four singles; Sudac had six RBI including her grand slam and four singles; and LaTisha Thomas had four singles.
Pitching beneficiaries were Megan Sumonja and Shannon Greene, Sumonja came on in relief after starter Megan Mason had given up a grand slam home run in a 6-run third inning and blanked the Roadrunners the rest of the way, allowing just two hits and striking out seven for the win. Greene went the distance in the nightcap, allowing no runs in the first three innings before giving up a pair of home runs and 13 hits.