Allen County Community College’s Red Devil baseball team is fighting for its playoff life right now. There is still a chance, despite a 2-2 split with Labette Community College’s Cardinals over the weekend.
The best thing would have been a sweep or even a 3-1 run against the Cardinals. The Red Devils settled for the 2-2 split with one more four-game series in Jayhawk Eastern Division play remaining.
“It helped us that we were able to come back and win the last game to get the split,” said Val McLean, ACCC head coach, “If we win 3 of 4 or sweep Highland this next weekend, we have a chance to be in the playoffs.
Right now, the Red Devils stand in ninth place in the Jayhawk East at 11-21 and 19-26 overall. The top eight teams move into the playoffs.
Allen County was to have played all four games at home Friday and Saturday. But rain played its part in the weekend.
“Playing two games at Labette Friday didn’t bother us. It was to the point we had to get the games in,” McLean said. “Labette has a good team and we didn’t play as well in two of the games and they were all four close games.”
Allen County pulled out a 5-4 win in the first game Friday in Parsons. Even though the games were played on the Cardinals’ field, the Red Devils were the home team Friday. Labette won the nine-inning contest 7-4.
Saturday afternoon had the teams back in Iola playing on Red Devil Field.
The Red Devils were up 1-0 through three innings. In the fourth, the Cardinals benefited from ACCC mistakes for two runs.
They tied the game up with a double, an ACCC error and a single. Two wild pitches and another base hit allowed the Cardinals to score the go-ahead run.
That 2-1 advantage held up for Labette and was the final score of the game.
Allen County scored its run in the third on a single by Garret Hess, Travis Stafford drawing a walk and both moving up on an error. Riley Price’s ground-out drove in the run.
Hess, Travis Stafford drawing a walk and both moving up on an error. Riley Price’s ground-out drove in the run.
Patrick Garner took the loss after pitching four innings. He allowed two runs on two hits, two walks and one hit batter, He struck out three.
Tanner Wittman threw 11⁄3 innings of scoreless baseball and gave up two hits. Brandon Spear struck out one batter and gave up no hits and no runs in 12⁄3 innings of work.
Hitting a single each for ACCC were Price, Nick Fountain, Michael Schell, Kyle Johnston and Hess.
In the second game — a must win — the Red Devils edged the Cardinals 6-5 in the nine-inning contest. Fountain went eight innings for the win. He gave up five runs on seven hits and four walks. Fountain struck out nine. Spear got the save with one inning of work and one strikeout.
Labette scored a run in the first inning. The Red Devils responded with one in their half of the inning.
With two gone, Schell and Fountain had back-to-back singles. Johnston doubled to drive in Schell and Fountain was tagged out at home.
In the second inning, Curtiss Bunch drew a one-out walk and Kaleb Hoffman had a base hit. Stafford plated the run on a fielder’s choice.
Allen County led 2-1 until the Cardinals used three hits and an ACCC error to score three times in the fifth. The Red Devils came right back in their half of the inning.
Schell led off with a single and with one out Johnston singled and Brad Alberts drew a walk. Hoffman singled with two gone and drove in two runs. Stafford’s two-run double put Allen County back on top 6-4.
Labette scored a run in the eighth for the final margin.
Johnston was 3-for-4 with two singles and a double. Price, Schell and Hoffman each had two singles. Stafford doubled and Fountain singled.
On Friday at Parsons, Cody Wren and Spear worked on the mound in a 5-4 win for the Red Devils. Wren got the win going 51⁄3 innings and allowing four runs on 11 hits and one hit batter.
Spear came on in the sixth with two on and no outs to get the Red Devils out of the jam. Allen County was up 5-4 at the time. Spear picked up the save.
Fountain and Bunch each had a single and a double. Bryce Williams and Stafford had two singles each in the game.
Johnston and Schell each doubled. Price and Alberts hit a single apiece.
The teams were tied 3-3 after two innings. Allen County got solo home runs by Williams — in the first — and Stafford — in the second.
Labette scored two runs in the fifth to take the lead then added single runs in the eighth and ninth. Allen County got a run in the bottom of the ninth.
Dylan Bowman took the loss on the mound. He pitched 42⁄3 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits and four walks. He struck out two. Zak Mickens pitched 41⁄3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and had three strikeouts.
Stafford and Williams each had two singles and a home run. Fountain and Schell had two base hits apiece. Eric Seymour doubled while Alberts and Johnston singled.
Allen County travels to El Dorado Thursday in non-conference play. It is a single, nine-inning game.
The Red Devils finish the regular season at Highland Saturday and Sunday. It’s a four-game Jayhawk Eastern Conference series.
Red Devils battle to stay in playoff hunt
