Cloud County Softball Drops Home Doubleheader to Highland Community College
Back at home for the first time in two weeks, the Cloud County Community College softball team stranded nine base runners including the game-tying run at second in game one as part of a 4-3 loss to Highland Community College before being shut out 8-0 in game two to drop both ends of a Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference doubleheader at the CCCC Softball Field in Concordia, Kansas on Thursday, April 4th.
Suffering their third doubleheader sweep of the season, Cloud County falls to 15-11 overall and 1-3 in the KJCCC while Highland bounces back from their opening KJCCC doubleheader of the year last week against Fort Scott and snaps a four-game losing streak to improve to 16-12 overall and 2-2 in conference play.
Game One:
Allowing a run to score in the top of the first following a one-out double and back-to-back two-out singles, Cloud County saw a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the first go to waste as two runners in scoring position were stranded on an inning-ending strikeout. The T-Birds did manage to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third on a Kaylee Pinneo RBI double to score Kaitlynn Baca just to see the Scotties reclaim the lead in the top of the fourth with a bunt single coming around to score two batters later on an RBI double with HCC pushing across another single run in the fifth to go up 3-1.
CCCC cut the two-run deficit down to one in the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff single from Brooklynn McCormick coming around to score on a Jillian Artiges single as obstruction was called on the Highland catcher for blocking the plate which allowed the T-Birds to get back within a run heading into the final inning of the game. The Scotties wasted no time in getting the run back as each of the first two batters safely reached base in the seventh for Highland before an RBI fielders choice to bring home an unearned run following a passed ball earlier in the inning as the Cloud County escaped the inning without any more damage.
Needing at least two runs to tie the game, CCCC saw Alyssa Reynolds lead off the bottom of the seventh with a single to third base before a groundout from Pinneo and Stauffer RBI double that scored pinch-runner Madeline McIntire to bring the T-Birds back within a run and have the game-tying run at second. After a popup to the second baseman, Cloud County saw their rally ended with an unassisted groundout to first as Highland managed to hang on for the one-run victory.
CCCC stranded at least one base runner in five of the seven innings of the game, finishing with nine hits while drawing three walks. Baca and McCormick led the T-Birds with two hits each while Pinneo and Stauffer accounted for the only two RBI recorded by Cloud County as each had one extra-base hit to account for the two-extra base hits by CCCC. In the circle, Kiera Brack went the distance and took the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on 11 hits with three strikeouts to fall to 8-5 overall.
Game Two:
Shut out for just the fifth time this season in 26 games, Cloud County stranded a one-out walk in the first before going down in order in both the second and third innings while seeing Highland break a scoreless tie in the top of the third with three-straight hits to begin the inning leading to a three-run outburst on four hits to go up 3-0. Collecting their first hit of the game with two outs in the bottom of the fourth with a Stauffer double, CCCC saw the inning end one batter later on a groundout before allowing the Scotties to push across another three runs on three hits with a two-RBI single back up the middle proving to the big hit of the inning to put Highland up 6-0.
The best offensive threat from CCCC came in the bottom of the fifth as a two-out rally began with a Madyson Buescher single followed by an Artiges single to the pitcher with both advancing into scoring position on a wild pitch before having Baca drawing a walk to load the bases. A lineout however ended the inning as Cloud County left the bases loaded and saw momentum remain in the Highland dugout as the Scotties went on to score two more runs in the top of the seventh and never allowed the T-Birds to put together a threat to score as strong as they had in the fifth.
Held to just four hits, no player for CCCC had more than one hit in the game with Stauffer recording the only extra-base hit by Cloud County in the contest as Stauffer, Brack, Buescher, and Artiges each had one hit. Baca, Reynolds, and Pinneo all drew walks to account for the remaining three base runners that reached for Cloud County as the T-Birds stranded seven base runners in the game despite striking out only once. Two pitchers threw for CCCC, with Brecken Whitney (3-3) taking the loss after throwing five innings and allowing six runs on eight hits before seeing Paige Mahler throw the final two innings and give up two runs on three hits.
What's Next?
Arguably the toughest test to date for Cloud County comes up on Saturday, April 6th when CCCC heads east to Overland Park to take on the number seven nationally ranked Johnson County Cavaliers in a 1 PM doubleheader. Johnson County split a road doubleheader at Fort Scott on Thursday afternoon and is now 24-6 overall along with a 3-1 record in the KJCCC.