OVERLAND PARK — Letdowns in the late innings proved troublesome Tuesday for Allen Community College’s softball team.
Host Johnson County erupted for six runs in the fifth inning to pull away in the opener, 9-5, before scoring four in the sixth of the nightcap for another 9-5 victory.
The losses drop Allen to 1-23 on the season (0-16 in Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division).
The Red Devils return to action Thursday at home against Coffeyville, starting at 2 p.m.
Allen, coming off its first win of a season, a 10-2 conquest over St. Louis on Sunday, broke on top early in the first game to lead 4-0 after 2 1/2 innings. Stormie Bush and Bailey Burnett had RBI singles before they scored on Kayla Bourgeois’ two-run triple.
Johnson County responded quickly, scoring three in its half of the third before a leadoff walk to Jordan Barber in the fourth led to Allen’s fifth run. Barber advanced to second on a sacrifice and scored on a Cavalier fielding error.
Disaster struck in the sixth. Johnson County’s first eight batters reached base on five hits and three Red Devil errors to lead 8-5 before the first out was recorded.
Only one Allen batter reached base after the Cavalier rally. Barber singled with one out in the sixth, but she was erased in a double play.
Mackenzi Beck was saddled with the loss. She gave up 12 hits in four innings with a strikeout. Marissa Luna pitched two scoreless innings of relief, allowing one hit and striking out one.
Bourgeois’ triple was Allen’s only extra base hit. Burnett singled twice, while Annie Gentry, Bush and Barber had one single apiece.
It was Johnson County’s turn to strike quickly in the second game, leading 3-0 after the first inning.
But Allen scored twice in the second after Burnett and Bourgeois opened the frame with singles. Burnett scored on a fielding error, Bourgeois on Cassidy Reynolds’ suicide squeeze.
Bush then gave Allen a 4-3 lead in fifth on a two-run single, scoring Erika King and Gentry.
The advantage didn’t last long. Carly Campbell’s two-run single in the bottom of the fifth gave the lead back to Johnson County before the Cavaliers tacked on four insurance runs in the sixth.
Burnett drove in Bush with a single in the top of the seventh for Allen’s final tally.
Luna took the loss, allowing seven hits in five innings, but only one earned run. She walked two and struck out one. Emily England allowed four hits in her inning of relief.
Bush and Burnett singled twice. Gentry, Bourgeois and Barber singled once each.
ACC not so fond of these 9-to-5 jobs
