CHANUTE — Allen Community College’s softball team is apparently in the “gut-wrenching defeat” portion of the schedule.
When Neosho County’s Hannah Duin blasted a two-run home run with one out in the bottom of the seventh Saturday, it marked the third time in four games Allen had lost on the final play of the game.
The Panthers’ 4-2 victory capped a doubleheader sweep over Allen’s squad, which lost the opener, 12-2.
The sweep came after Allen dropped both games of a doubleheader Thursday at Cloud County, both coming in walk-off fashion.
Saturday’s 4-2 defeat spoiled a dandy pitching performance by ACC’s Skyler Jackson, who entered the seventh inning having allowed just four hits and one earned run.
But a leadoff double, followed by a sacrifice bunt, put a Panther runner on third with one out and Duin — the Panthers’ no. 3 hitter — coming to bat. Duin took a 2-1 pitch over the center field wall for the clincher.
Allen didn’t get its first hit until Aubrey Willis singled with two outs in the third. The Red Devils capitalized immediately, however, when Lacey Stamper ripped a double to center to drive home Willis and tied the score at 1-1.
The Panthers retook a 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth after an Allen error led to an unearned run.
But ACC returned the favor in the top of the sixth after Kinsey Stuewe reached on a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and then scored on a two-out error by the NCCC third baseman.
Allen catcher Robin Todd gave the Red Devils a lift in the bottom of the sixth after she threw out a Panther baserunner attempting to steal second after a leadoff walk. The play proved even more fortuitous when the next NCCC batter doubled. Jackson worked out of the jam from there with a ground out and a fly out to end the inning.
But the Red Devils went down in order in the top of the inning, setting the stage for Duin’s game-winner.
Stamper had ACC’s only extra-base hit, a double. Todd, Jaydee Pulliam and Willis had singles.
A troublesome first inning spelled doom for Allen in the opener.
Nevertheless, Allen starter Madelynn Collins was within a whisker of getting out of the first with no damage done, even after the first two Panther batters reached on an error and walk, respectively.
Collins retired the next two batters on a ground ball and strikeout, but a single, a walk and two more errors suddenly had the Red Devils in arrears, 5-0.
Stuewe stole home in the top of the second before Collins ripped an RBI single to close the gap to 5-2, but that was as close as Allen could get.
