Cloud County Community College Softball Suffers Two Losses at KCK

Limited to just one run on seven hits over the course of two games, the Cloud County Community College softball team dropped a pair of mid-week Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference softball games on the road to Kansas City Kansas Community College in Kansas City, Kansas on Wednesday, April 17th.

Falling to 15-19 overall, Cloud County now holds a 1-11 record within the KJCCC while seeing the host Blue Devils pick up their ninth and 10th consecutive victories to improve to 10-2 in the KJCCC to remain among the league-leading teams.

Game One:
Trailing 3-0 after one inning of play with a fielding error allowing for a trio of unearned runs to come home, Cloud County saw KCKCC push across a solo run in the bottom of the second to grab a 4-0 lead heading into the third. After seeing both teams get retired in order in the third inning, the Blue Devils were unable to take advantage of a leadoff double with Cloud County starting pitcher Kiera Brack getting out of the inning unscathed with CCCC having an opportunity to cut into the lead in the top of the fifth. Following two quick outs, a dropped third strike and wild pitch allowed Brooklynn McCormick to reach base and serve as the first T-Bird base runner since the top of the first inning followed by a fielding error that put two runners on for Cloud County. A fielder's choice ended the inning to allow KCKCC to keep the T-Birds off the scoreboard as Kansas City Kansas went on to have two of their first three batters reach base safely and end the game in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run home run.

The top three batters in the Cloud County lineup (Kaitlynn Baca, McCormick, and Kaylee Pinneo) accounted for the three base hits by CCCC with the T-Birds striking out 10 times and stranding seven base runners. Brack struck out four in the circle while taking the loss to fall to 8-9 overall.

Game Two:
Retired in order to begin the back end of the doubleheader, Cloud County once again fell into an early hole as a pair of base-hit doubles for KCKCC led to a run to come home and give the Blue Devils a 1-0 lead into the second where the T-Birds were unable to make anything happen with a leadoff Camille Stauffer single. A leadoff walk for Kansas City Kansas to begin the bottom of the second started what eventually became a four-run inning for the Blue Devils with five hits allowing KCKCC to add to their lead and go up 5-0. Once again putting a leadoff base runner aboard with a walk, Cloud County was held off the scoreboard with two runners getting stranded in scoring position before seeing KCKCC break the game open by sending nine batters to the plate and taking advantage of another T-Bird error to push across five runs (four unearned) to grab a commanding 10-0 lead.

Needing to cut into the Blue Devil advantage, Cloud County once more got a leadoff single from Stauffer just inside the right field line as the Milford, Nebraska native advanced to second on a passed ball before moving to third on a groundout that was coupled with a Kansas City Kansas throwing error to score the first CCCC run of the afternoon. The T-Birds saw their inning end one batter later on a ball popped up in foul territory that was caught with KCKCC getting back to the plate where four more runs came around to score and make it a 14-1 contest. In the top of the fifth, Cloud County put their leadoff batter aboard one final time with Madyson Buescher drawing a walk before seeing the next three T-Bird batters retired in order as the game came to an end with the Blue Devils winning by run rule.

The lone T-Bird to have multiple hits in the game was Stauffer with a pair of singles as CCCC had just four total hits and one walk to see another three base runners get stranded. Two different pitchers saw time in the circle for Cloud County with Brecken Whitney tossing the first 2.1 innings and allowing 10 runs (eight earned) on 11 hits before turning things over to Paige Mahler who allowed four runs (one earned) on three hits in 1.2 innings of work.

What's Next?
Six of Cloud County's next eight games will take place at home with the T-Birds hosting sophomore day on Saturday, April 20th in their next scheduled set of games against Coffeyville Community College at the CCCC Softball Field at 12 PM. Coffeyville is 4-21 overall and 3-8 in the KJCCC this season with Wednesday's action against Fort Scott at home resulting in a pair of losses for the Red Ravens. Following a season-opening win, Coffeyville dropped 19 consecutive games before winning three of their past seven games with all three of their most recent wins coming in conference action.