KANSAS CITY — Allen Community College’s softball team had troubles containing the Kansas City, Kan., offense Tuesday. KANSAS CITY led 4-0 before Allen’s bats awakened starting in the third inning.
The Blue Devils romped to an 11-3 win in the opening game of a doubleheader Tuesday before emerging on top in a 10-7 slugfest in the nightcap.
The losses push Allen’s record to 5-17 in NJCAA Region VI standings and 5-22 overall. The Red Devils were scheduled to return to action today at home against Cottey College, but the overnight rains changed those plans. Allen coach Jamie Amerine said today’s games were called off. No makeup date has been announced.
Allen travels to Cowley and Independence Friday and Saturday for doubleheaders.
Allen led 2-0 after the top of the first inning of the opener, courtesy of a two-run blast by Kaitlyn Rash.
But KCK responded with two runs of its own in the bottom half of the first to tie the score.
Maecy Charleston led off the second with a single. She advanced on an error and scored on Taylor Easum’s two-out single to give ACC a 3-2 lead.
That was it for the offense.
The Blue Devils promptly took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the second, then scored six in the fourth and once in the fifth for the 11-3 victory.
“They’re a good hitting team,” Amerine said. “They’ve got good speed throughout the lineup, and when they got on base, they did a good job of driving the ball up the middle. We didn’t make many errors, but the ones we did make were big.”
Audra Nelson took the loss, giving up 11 hits and three walks with two strikeouts.
Easum and Rothwell both rapped out two hits for the Red Devils. Rash’s only hit was her home run. Mary Reilly, Charleston, Kaylee Lucas and Bailey Burnett added singles.
Burnett led off the third with a single. She scored on Gentry’s single to cut the gap to 4-1. Rothwell followed with a double, but Gentry was thrown out at the plate to end the scoring threat.
The play grew even more significant because the first four ACC batters reached in the fourth inning, including RBI singles by Reilly and Charleston. Easum’s two-run single with two outs gave Allen a 5-4 lead.
The advantage was short-lived.
The Blue Devils responded with two runs in the bottom of the fourth to retake the lead before Allen struck again in the top of the fifth. Lucas singled with two outs, and scored to pull Allen even, 6-6 on Reilly’s base hit. Charleston followed with an RBI single to give ACC a 7-6 cushion.
But Lacey Santiago’s three-run single in the bottom of the fifth gave the Blue Devils the lead for good.
Rash took the loss, giving up 13 hits and three walks with two strikeouts.
“Our pitching wasn’t where we wanted it, but our pitchers also weren’t getting a lot of calls,” Amerine said. “They forced us to put some pitches over the plate, and they hit them hard.”
Lucas had two hits, including a double. Reilly, Charleston and Gentry chipped in with two singles apiece. Rothwell recorded a double. Easum, Rash, Burnett and Kaitlin Norris had one single apiece in the 13-hit attack.
KCK drops Red Devils
