Cloud County Softball Cruises Past Coffeyville with Pair of Run-Rule Shortened Victories
A strong offensive showing leading to 24 runs in just 10 innings of play equated to a home sweep for the Cloud County Community College softball team over visiting Coffeyville Community College, winning by scores of 10-2 and 14-3 at the CCCC Softball Field in Concordia, Kansas on Wednesday, April 6th.
Earning a second-straight home sweep with both doubleheaders coming in Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference play, the T-Birds are now 15-16 overall and 4-10 in the KJCCC while Coffeyville falls to 3-20 overall and 2-12 in league action.
GAME ONE:
CCCC wouldn't wait long to take their first lead of the day, using a leadoff walk from freshman Ryleigh Jones before a pair of stolen bases and RBI groundout would bring home the first run of the game to give the T-Birds a 1-0 lead. The one-run Cloud County lead would turn into a one-run deficit in the top of the third as Coffeyville would use a leadoff single and fielder's choice to put two runners on base with no outs before getting a two-RBI double to take the lead. Following the two hits and fielder's choice, CCCC would respond with a strikeout, lineout, and groundout to end the inning and strand the one base runner in scoring position.
The lead for the Red Ravens would last for all of half an inning as a leadoff double from Jones followed by Shayna Fila fielder's choice would put runners on the corners to set up a double steal attempt that would see both runners advance safely and tie the game at 2-2. McKenna Mayhew would then give Cloud County the lead as a triple into the left-center field gap would drive home Fila before coming home on a Taylor Dekok RBI single back up the middle. The T-Birds would go on to add one more run in the inning by getting a Delaney Exon solo home run to cap off a four-run inning that would come as part of four hits with CCCC sending nine batters to the plate.
Cloud County would add another run in the bottom of the fourth as Jones would draw her second walk of the game and add another stolen base to go along with an advancement on a wild pitch before Mayhew would hit another RBI groundout. CCCC's four-run lead would grow even more in the fifth as a two-out rally would be started by a Rae Ann Hartwig hit-by-pitch followed by Coffeyville fielding error to put two runners in scoring position. With the top of the lineup due up, Jones would hit a two-RBI single back up the middle before seeing Fila keep the inning going with an infield single that would manage to score Jones. Needing just one run to end the game by run-rule, Cloud County would draw back-to-back walks by Mayhew and Dekok before taking advantage of one last Red Raven error to score one final run to end the game.
Two Coffeyville errors would lead to four of CCCC's 10 runs in the contest, with the T-Birds collecting nine hits and drawing seven walks compared to just three strikeouts. Two-hit games from Jones, Dekok, and Exon would account for six of the nine hits as the trio would also drive in four of CCCC's eight RBIs with Mayhew accounting for three of the remaining four. Dekok would also put together a complete-game effort in the circle for Cloud County, striking out seven and allowing just two runs on four hits to pick up her eighth pitching victory of the year.
GAME TWO:
Scratching across another solo run in the bottom of the first after Jones would hit a leadoff double to come home on a Mayhew sacrifice fly, the T-Bird lead would quickly grow in the bottom of the second as eight of the first nine batters in the inning would safely reach base. A Coffeyville error would allow for the first run of the inning to score before seeing a fielder's choice from Mia Kelly lead to another run without an out being recorded as all runners would be safe while putting runners on second and third. Jones would deliver the big blast in the inning by hitting a three-run home run to right field that would turn a 3-0 lead into a 6-0 lead for CCCC as the T-Birds would be in full control of the game heading into the third.
Two T-Bird errors would allow the Red Ravens to get one run back in the top of the third as a two-out double would come around to score following the errors to give Coffeyville their first run of the contest. The one-run would be of little use for the Red Ravens however as Cloud County would erupt for an eight-run bottom of the third with six base-hit singles, a hit batter, walk, and two-RBI triple would be coupled with four stolen bases to take their largest lead of the afternoon at 14-1. Needing just six outs defensively to end the game by run-rule in the fifth, CCCC would put together a one-two-three top of the fourth before seeing two base-hit singles and two-RBI triple allow the Red Ravens to score two runs before seeing the game end on a groundout to second base.
The strong offensive output would see the T-Birds hit three extra-base hits and record 12 hits total with two walks also helping contribute to their highest-scoring single-game total of the season. CCCC would also see six different players swipe a base in the contest to finish the day with 14 stolen bases over the course of two games. A complete game from Kyra Meyer would see the Blue Hill, Nebraska native allowing just two earned runs (three total) on six hits while striking out three and needing just 68 total pitches to get through the five innings. The remaining 12 outs recorded would come by groundout as Meyer would face just 22 batters to get the 15 necessary outs.
What's Next?
Cloud County will close out their week with a Saturday road trip to Neosho County Community College with a 1 PM doubleheader at the Neosho Softball Complex in Chanute. The Panthers are currently 16-11 overall and 7-5 in the KJCCC, with a road trip to Hesston College scheduled for Thursday afternoon before returning home to host CCCC.