By Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information
Two extra inning losses have ended one of the winningest softball seasons in Kansas City Kansas Community College history.
Beaten 4-3 by Cowley College in eight innings in opening round play of the NJCAA DII regional playoffs in Topeka Friday, the Blue Devils rebounded with 6-0 wins over Hesston and 5-4 over Cowley before No. 6 ranked Highland ended the Blue Devil season with an 11-7 8-inning win on Saturday.
The loss ended the Blue Devil season at 41-15, the second winningest season in school history, topped only by 47 wins recorded more than 20 years ago. The Blue Devils also finished 16th in the final NJCAA Division I rankings.
Not only did the two losses come in extra innings, both came after KCKCC had staged dramatic seventh inning comebacks to get ties.
Trailing Highland 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh, the Blue Devils pulled even on a single by Devin Purcell, double by Bradi Basler and single by Lindsey Gettle, and might have won it were it not for a controversial call.
“Madison Pope hit a shot down the third base line that was clearly fair that would have won it but it was called foul,” said KCKCC coach Lana Ross, who was coaching third base and had a bird’s eye view of the ball. Highland (44-7) then bunched a walk and three hits off a tiring Breanna Droge to score four times in the top of the eighth.
Savannah Maynard homered and singled to drive in three runs while Basler doubled twice and singled and Gettle singled twice in an 11-hit attack against a Highland team that had beaten KCKCC 7-3 and 11-1 earlier.
Five of the Scotties’ runs were unearned because of five Blue Devil errors. Basler gave up four hits and four runs (two earned) in three innings, Droge (16-9) seven hits and seven runs (four earned) in five innings. She struck out seven.
KCKCC also trailed Cowley 3-0 before scoring three times in the top of the seventh in the tourney opener. After a walk and double by Jenna Daugherty scored one run,
Maynard tied it with a two-run double only to have Cowley win it on a two-out error in the bottom the eighth. Basler took the loss, giving up the unearned run and four hits in two innings after Droge worked the first six innings, allowing five hits and three runs (two earned).
Basler and Droge combined on a two-hitter in shutting out Hesston 6-0 Friday. Basler allowed no hits but walked five in four innings; Droge gave up two hits and walked none in three innings. Basler also homered and doubled; Pope drove in two runs with a pair of hits; and Alexis Rymer doubled in a pair of runs.
The Blue Devils rode Basler’s grand slam home run and Droge’s 5-hit pitching to a 5-4 win over Cowley in Saturday’s rain-delayed first game.
Basler drove in all five runs, the first on a sacrifice fly after a leadoff double by Maynard in the first inning and then cleared the bases with her slam in the third.
Droge went the distance for the win, giving up five hits and four runs, only two of which were earned. She struck out six.
Droge pitched in all four games, a total of 21 innings of the 30 played.
“Breanna was an absolute star; she pitched her heart out,” Ross said. “Despite the adversity including sitting six hours in the dugout waiting for the field to dry, this team fought and battled their hearts out. It peaked at the right time, beating some really good teams and never giving up.”