by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College’s young softball team battled right down to the final pitch in Region VI playoff action Saturday.
A bloop single with two out in the bottom of seventh inning scored the winning run in Johnson County’s 6-5 win that ended the Lady Blue Devils’ season. The Lady Cavaliers had won the opener in the best-of-three series 8-0 in the games played at JCCC.
The Cavaliers took a 5-0 lead after three innings of the second game only to have the Blue Devils score three times in the third and single runs in the fourth and fifth for a 5-5 tie.
Freshman Kaylee Arnzen led the comeback, driving in two runs with a double and single. Kali Jacobson also had two hits while Natalie Cowan and Jennifer Mullins had RBI singles. Sophomore Shannon Greene took the loss, allowing 13 hits and five earned runs. She struck out two and walked one.
Halle Brin (13-8) got the wins in both games for Johnson County. Brin gave up only a single to Shelby Espy and struck out nine in the 5-inning 8-0 opener and then allowed two hits and one run in 2 2/3 innings of relief in the second game.
JCCC took advantage of seven KCKCC errors to score six unearned runs in the first game. Lansing freshman Katelyn Kittrell allowed eight hits and walked one. The Blue Devils finished the season 12-26 overall and 4-20 in Jayhawk Conference play.