Tag: KCKCC softball

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

Stingy pitching by Nerida Elson and Breanna Droge led Kansas City Kansas Community College to a sweep of Southwestern Iowa Friday.

Piper’s Alexis Rymer hit a tie-breaking home run in the fifth inning to back Elson’s strong relief pitching in a 6-4 opening game win; Droge allowed just three hits in an 8-1 second game victory.

The win boosted KCKCC’s record to 6-2 heading into a doubleheader Saturday with Central Nebraska at 1 and 3 p.m.

A sophomore lefthander from Auckland, New Zealand, Elson came on in the fourth inning with the score deadlocked at 4-4. After giving up a hit and a walk, Elson retired the final 12 Spartans in order, three on strikeouts. Defensively, she was backed by a spectacular over the shoulder catch by Devin Purcell in centerfield and a backhand grab and throw by shortstop Savannah Maynard, both in the seventh inning. Bradi Basler pitched the first three innings, allowing four runs on three hits and four walks.

In addition to her tie-breaking 2-run home run, Rymer singled and doubled in a 3-RBI effort. Lindsey Gettle added two hits and an RBI.

Droge faced just 25 hitters in her 3-hitter in the 8-1 nightcap. She struck out eight, walked none and hit one. Her shutout was ruined by a fifth inning home run.

Freshman Hannah Maurer drove in four runs on a home run, double and singled and Maynard doubled twice and singled while driving in two runs. Madison Pope singled and doubled and Purcell singled twice and each drove in a run. KCKCC took a 1-0 lead in the first on singles by Purcell and Maurer and added three runs in the third. Maynard doubled in the first two runs and scored on Purcell’s single.

“Our pitches did a great job today and we played very well defensively,” KCKCC coach Lana Ross said. “We need to continue to get better and get tougher mentally but we played well today.”

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.

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

Kansas City Kansas Community College pounded out 15 hits in each game but still had to go extra innings for a softball sweep of Marshalltown Saturday.

Bradi Basler pitched a two-hitter in a 10-1 win in the opener and then singled in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning of a 9-8 win of the second game. The sweep boosted the Blue Devils to 4-0 heading into a doubleheader with No. 9-ranked Kirkwood Sunday.

KCKCC had an 8-3 lead heading into the seventh inning of the nightcap only to have the Bobcats rap out five straight hits to pull into an 8-8 deadlock. Devin Purcell led off the bottom of the eighth with a double – her fourth hit of the game – took third on a ground ball and scored the winning run on Basler’s single up the middle.

The hit made a winner out of freshman Breanna Droge, who pitched the first 5.1 innings, allowing three runs, five hits, striking out five and walking none. Droge re-entered in the seventh after Sammi Reynolds was touched for five runs. In addition to Purcell’s four hits, Basler tripled and singled, Jenna Daugherty and Hannah Maurer doubled and singled and Alana Howe singled twice.

The Blue Devils led only 2-0 before scoring eight runs in the fourth inning of the 5-inning opener. Basler faced just 17 hitters in four innings on the mound, striking out two and walking four. Nerida Elson pitched the fifth, striking out two.

Lindsey Gettle and Alexis Rymer each had three hits in the opener with Gettle driving in three runs. Madison Pope, Savannah Maynard and Howe each had two hits and drove in runs.

“This probably sounds silly with all the hits we had but I’d like to see us get more aggressive at the plate,” KCKCC coach Lana Ross said. “I just didn’t think we were that aggressive. We let the second game get out of control. On the positive side, (centerfielder) Devin Purcell and (shortstop) Savannah Maynard played unbelievably well on defense; both had great defensive games.” The Blue Devils were errorless in both games.