Allen Community College softball coach Jamie Amerine thought she was watching a television rerun at times, as the Red Devils put forth virtual carbon copies on the diamond Friday and Saturday.
On both days, Allen’s Audra Nelson sparkled from the pitching circle. She shut down Pratt’s batters on Friday and Dodge City’s on Saturday to nab wins in the first game of doubleheaders.
Nelson shut down Pratt 2-1 Friday and Dodge City 3-1 Saturday.
But the highlights ended there. Allen’s pitching and defense struggled in the nightcaps.
Pratt rebounded to romp to an 11-0 win in the second game Friday. Then Dodge City bounced back on Saturday afternoon to defeat ACC 10-2.
The doubleheaders capped a busy six-game-in-three-day stretch for Allen, which went 4-2.
The frenetic play may have proven to be an elixir of sorts for the Red Devils, Amerine said.
After dropping 18 of their first 19 games of the season, Allen has won four of its past six.
The Red Devils have another busy week ahead, if weather permits. Allen is in Kansas City, Kan., Tuesday before hosting Cottey College Wednesday and traveling to Cowley and Independence next weekend.
“We really want to get those games in because it gets harder and harder to reschedule them,” Amerine said.
NELSON’S TOUGHNESS, particularly with runners on base, was key to her victories.
She stranded runners in scoring position in five of the seven innings in the win over Pratt. She allowed six hits and one walk, with two strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Kaitlyn Rash pounded a home run over the left field fence in the bottom of the first to give ACC a 1-0 lead.
After Pratt tied it up in the second, both teams threatened on several occasions from there. Allen’s Maecy Charleston was stranded in scoring position in the second and fourth innings.
Annie Gentry led off the fifth with a single but was gunned down at the plate. The tie-breaking score was aided by a pair of Pratt errors. Norris was credited with an RBI after Pratt’s second baseman misplayed her ground ball. She drove in Taylor Easum, who also reached on an error.
Rash had two hits, including her home run. Charleston went 3-for-3, while Mary Reilly and Gentry had singles.
Pratt led 4-0 in the second game before scoring seven runs in the sixth inning to erase any doubt, taking advantage of four ACC errors in the process.
Rash took the loss, giving up six hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Nelson pitched an inning, giving up five hits and a walk. Only four of the 11 runs were earned.
Reilly went 2-for-2 at the plate for ACC. Charleston singled.
IN SATURDAY’S opener, Dodge City put runners in scoring position in five of the seven innings before Nelson slammed the door. She stranded seven Dodge City runners, while allowing seven hits and a walk with six strikeouts.
“I was really impressed with her pitching and we had good defense,” Amerine said.
Charleston threw out Dodge City’s Ashley Stevenson at the plate from center field in the top of the third.
Easum and Norris got the offense started on the right foot. The pair led off the first with singles. Easum scored on a passed ball before Rash drove in Norris on a sacrifice fly.
Paige Rothwell doubled and scored on a passed ball for ACC’s third run in the bottom of the fourth.
Rothwell, Kaylee Lucas and Gentry had doubles. Easum, Norris and Rash had singles.
DODGE CITY took control early on in the nightcap, scoring one in the first and four in the second.
Charleston doubled to lead off the second for ACC. She scored on Lucas’ single. Rothwell’s two-out double in the third scored Rash.
Nelson took the loss, giving up five hits and two walks. Rash followed with three innings of relief, giving up three hits and two walks with a strikeout.
Easum, Rothwell and Charleston had doubles. Reilly, Rash and Lucas had singles.
