OVERLAND PARK — The Allen Red Devils came just shy of knocking off the No. 1 ranked NJCAA baseball team Saturday.
The Red Devils lost to the Johnson County Community College Cavaliers 12-11 and 16-0 in Saturday’s Jayhawk Conference showdown.
Even so, Coach Trey Harris had nothing but praise.
“Last week, we were two outs away from a win, and now, we’re two strikes away,” Coach Harris said.
“We talk about taking that next step in getting better, and these next four weeks are going to tell us where we’re at.”
A four-run sixth inning nearly handed the Cavaliers their first conference loss, but JCCC registered four runs in the seventh capped off by a game-winning home run for the Cavaliers.
Allen jumped out to an early lead off an RBI liner by sophomore third baseman Jose Zorilla in the opening frame. Cooper Bates added two more on a home run in the third inning.
The Cavaliers took the lead but Allen cut it to a pair of runs in the fifth inning after a two-RBI double by sophomore first baseman Nicky Morretto. Moments later, sophomore outfielder Marquee Williams drove in Moretto.
The momentum shifted in Allen’s favor in the sixth after a grand slam by freshman designated hitter Carson McCormac, giving Allen a 10-8 lead. In the sixth, sophomore third baseman Jeffrey Almonte plated what seemed an insurance run with an RBI single, but JCCC’s seventh-inning grand slam sealed the victory.
“We played with the No. 1 team in the country three out of four games,” Coach Harris said. “The guys are doing what they need to give them a chance to win. Now, it’s my job as a coach to get them over the hump. I’m excited about the trend we’re going in. We’re not just accepting losses.”
McCormac led Allen in the opener with four RBIs. Bates had a team-leading three hits while perfect in 3 of 3 at-bats. Freshman reliever Doc Needham took the loss with a team-leading two strikeouts.
With only a pair of hits by Almonte and Moretto in the finale, Allen failed to manufacture runs letting JCCC run away with a landslide victory. Freshmen pitchers Logan Page and Andrew Smith tied for the team lead in strikeouts with one each.
With the losses, the Red Devils’ record falls to 14-22 overall and 5-11 in the conference.
