CHANUTE — Allen Community College’s bats came to life Sunday against Johnson County.
The Red Devils scored in all five innings to pound out a 12-2 victory, to salvage what had been a tough weekend up to then.
Johnson County, which entered the weekend with a 34-3 record, won the first three games of the four-game set, 4-2, 6-4 and 19-8.
Allen, which stands at 23-13 overall and 10-10 in Jayhawk Conference play, takes on Cowley College today for a doubleheader at 1 p.m. at Chanute’s new Safari Park.
The first two games of the series were Saturday in Overland Park at JCCC’s campus. The setting switched to Chanute for Allen’s “home” games.
The Red Devils still have yet to play a true home game this season because of an ongoing turf replacement project.
That will change on Saturday, when ACC hosts Kansas City Kansas after traveling to KCK on Thursday.
LEVI Bennett was Allen’s hitting star in Sunday’s series finale, going deep twice and driving in four.
His three-run blast in the bottom of the second broke a 2-2 deadlock to give Allen the lead for good. Colton Patterson’s RBI double in the third made it 6-2, before Bennett’s solo shot opened the fourth.
Lukas Rich drove in a run with a two-out single in the fifth, before Damon Burroughs followed with a two-run single to make it 11-2. Josh Prinner rounded out the scoring with an RBI single two batters later.
Johnson County led 2-0 early on before Alec Roberts hit a two-out single to score Bennett. A Cavalier error allowed Allen to score another run to tie the game.
Connor Clark earned the win. He gave up four hits and two runs over three innings of work with four strikeouts. Relievers Caleb Peterson, Brian Beers and Bennett combined for four innings of scoreless work, allowing just one hit with three strikeouts.
On top of Bennett’s two blasts, Rich went 3-for-5 with a double. Jonah Weisner doubled twice. Prinner singled and doubled. Patterson hit a double. Burroughs and Roberts both had singles.
A PAIR OF Red Devil errors in the top of the first of Sunday’s opener allowed Johnson County to score 10 runs, only two of which were earned against Allen starter Trey Jordan.
Jordan, who pitched a five-inning no-hitter in his previous contest, allowed seven hits with a strikeout. Luke Stone came on in relief, striking out five over three innings. Jackson Blake struck out three over his sole inning of work.
Logan Easterling and Roberts both went deep to pace Allen’s offense as the Red Devils scored a combined seven runs over the fourth and fifth innings.
