by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Neosho County used two big innings to sweep a Jayhawk Conference softball doubleheader from Kansas City Kansas Community College in Chanute Saturday.
Trailing 3-1 in the opening game, the Panthers scored nine times in the sixth inning for a 10-3 win and then scored four times in the fourth inning for a 5-2 win in the second game.
The losses left the Blue Devils in a two-way tie for fourth in conference play at 6-4 heading into a home doubleheader with Fort Scott Monday at 2 and 4 p.m. At Metropolitan-Maple Woods Sunday, the Blue Devils are on the road at Park University junior varsity Tuesday at 2 and 4 p.m. and then are back home again on Thursday against Coffeyville
Freshman Hannah Redick led off the opening game with a home run and pitcher Shay Grosstephan made it 3-0 lead with a two-run home run in the fourth. However, the Blue Devils were limited to only two other hits, both singles by Devin Purcell.
Neosho got a run back in the fifth before scoring nine times against Grosstephan and Mackenzie Pinkerton in the sixth. Grosstephan (9-3) gave up four hits and four runs, only one of which was earned, while Pinkerton allowed six runs on six hits.
Faith Maslak pitched shutout ball for four innings in the second game before Neosho scored four times in the fifth inning. Maslak (5-2) allowed just four hits including a home run. Grosstephan finished up, giving up just one hit in 2 2/3 innings.
Purcell, Grosstephan and Britney Beck each had two singles and Redick and Alaina Howe one apiece in KCKCC’s 8-hit attack.
At 22-12 overall, the doubleheader loss was the first in conference play and only the third all season and the first since March 16.