Cloud County Baseball Splits Road Action at #12 Johnson County on Saturday
After being held to their lowest scoring total of the season in game one, the Cloud County Community College baseball team would bounce back from a 7-1 loss to earn a 7-5 victory over number 12 ranked Johnson County Community College to split a Saturday doubleheader at the JCCC Baseball Field in Overland Park, Kansas on March 4th.
Ending their week with a victory in the final scheduled game ahead of next week's Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference opener, the T-Birds are now 9-6 overall after picking up the game four victory in the four-game series while the Cavaliers see a 13-game winning streak snapped in the final game while earning a series victory to now hold a 15-3 overall record.
GAME ONE:
Looking for a better start to the day than what was had on Friday when the T-Birds would surrender 16 runs over the first two innings of the two games at Lee Doyen Field, Cloud County would find themselves in an early pitcher's duel as both teams would be retired in order in the first before combining to strand five runners in the second. For CCCC, a leadoff hit-by-pitch along with a one-out single and walk to load the bases would ultimately be stranded as a strikeout and groundout would allow the Cavaliers to escape the inning unscathed. Cloud County would issue a one-out hit batter and two-out walk with two stolen bases putting runners on the corners for an RBI single to break a scoreless tie and give Johnson County a 1-0 lead. Following the RBI single, CCCC starter Mason McConnaughey would end the inning with a strikeout to strand a pair of Cavalier runners while limiting the damage to just one run.
Each team would leave a runner on base in a scoreless third before seeing JCCC break through for a big inning in the fourth as a leadoff walk would be followed by a two-run home run to put the Cavaliers up 3-0. After a strikeout, Johnson County would get a single and stolen base to put another runner in scoring position as the T-Birds would eventually issue a two-out walk to put a pair of runners on with the top of the order due up. A two-RBI double would officially end the day for McConnaughey as Cloud County would elect to bring in Mason Munz who would induce a groundout by the first batter he faced to get out of the inning with CCCC trailing 5-0.
Looking to respond on the offensive side of things, Cloud County would make the most of a leadoff single from Anthony Taggart to create a two-out rally with Gavin Roy and Danny Infante hitting back-to-back singles to bring home the first T-Bird run of the game. Following the RBI single from Infante, Johnson County would make a move to the bullpen with a four-run lead now potentially in jeopardy until a strikeout would end the inning and leave two more Cloud County runners stranded.
The score would remain a 5-1 JCCC lead until the bottom of the sixth when the Cavaliers would manage to push across two insurance runs on three hits as three of the first four batters in the inning would safely reach base. Following an RBI groundout and RBI single to make it a 7-1 contest with one out, CCCC would manage to end the inning with a double-play on a lineout to Infante at second to send things to the seventh and final scheduled inning in the contest. In their final opportunity at the plate, CCCC would be able to only muster a two-out hit batter as the Cavaliers would officially secure a series victory with the win.
Leaving seven runners stranded on base, CCCC would be limited to just four hits in the game coming from four different players while also getting one walk and three hit batters. An efficient outing offensively for Johnson County meanwhile would see seven runs come on seven hits to go along with four walks and one hit batter while limiting stranded baserunners to just four. Taking his first loss of the season on the mound would be McConnaughey after throwing 3.2 innings and allowing five runs on four hits despite striking out six of the 20 batters he faced. Munz would work 1.1 innings of hitless baseball before seeing Cole Askew (0.1 innings) and Luke Schmedding (0.2 innings) finish off the final inning of work.
GAME TWO:
Taking their first lead of the weekend, Cloud County would waste no time getting on the board in the top of the first of game two as a leadoff home run from Caden Walker would put CCCC up 1-0 after an inning of play following a one-two-three bottom of the first for Johnson County. Unable to take advantage of a Brock Wollin leadoff single and Landon Meyer one-out double in the second, the T-Birds would add to their lead in the top of the third with an inside-the-park home run by Roy serving as the first of two Cloud County home runs in the inning with Wollin blasting a two-run homer later in the inning to give CCCC their largest lead of the weekend.
Continuing to get a strong start from starter Cayden Castellanos on the mound, Cloud County would carry their four-run lead into the bottom of the fifth where an error to begin the inning would allow JCCC to take advantage as a two-run home run would cut the CCCC lead in half. After a single, another T-Bird error would putt two runners on with no outs as a sacrifice bunt would move both runners into scoring position for a two-RBI single to tie the game. Johnson County would go on to add one more run thanks to the third Cloud County error in the inning as a five-run inning would allow the Cavaliers to take a 5-4 lead despite scoring just one earned run in the inning.
Faced with the reality of once again playing from behind, Cloud County would have an opportunity to tie things or potentially take the lead in the sixth by putting two runners on with one out but ultimately see both Meyer and Aidan Malish stranded to end the inning. Another potential rally in the seventh would see Cloud County put each of their first two batters aboard safely with a Roy single and Infante walk to force a pitching change before seeing back-to-back outs threaten to strand both runners. Fortunately for CCCC, the T-Birds would get a Kolden Howerton RBI single to tie the game and put a go-ahead runner at third while eventually loading the bases with a walk before seeing a strikeout end the inning.
Potential trouble would find Cloud County in the bottom of the seventh as the Cavaliers would use a one-out single and two-out hit batter to put a runner in scoring position as any potential score could prove to be the difference in the game. Following a wild pitch to put two runners in scoring position, T-Bird reliever Phil Brennamenn would manage to get a flyout to end the inning and keep the game all knotted up at five.
Neither team would produce any offense in the eighth as the ninth would quickly be upon both squads with the game looking more and more likely to come down to which team could find a clutch hit. Using an Infante leadoff single and advancement on a wild pitch, Cloud County would then see Justin Johnson draw a walk to put two runners on base to allow for Wollin to hit an unassisted groundout to move both runners up 90 feet. Delivering a go-ahead two-RBI double would be Howerton as the T-Birds would take their first lead since the bottom of the fifth as the two-run advantage would now need to be protected defensively with CCCC needing just three outs to record a victory. After allowing a leadoff walk to bring the game-tying run to the plate, Cloud County would get three consecutive flyouts to end the game and secure a win to build momentum heading into conference play in five days.
Finally putting together a big team performance at the plate, CCCC would pound out 14 hits in the win and see five hits go for extra-bases with five different players for Cloud County each recording two hits. Driving in a game-high three runs would be Howerton while Wollin would account for two of CCCC's remaining four RBI despite seeing the T-Birds strand 10 runners. A no-decision would be issued to Castellanos following five innings of work that would see just one earned run (five total) come home while recording three strikeouts. The win would go to Brennamen who improved to 2-0 on the year following a four-inning outing that would see four hits get scattered as part of a scoreless outing with two strikeouts.
What's Next?
KJCCC play is officially here as Cloud County is set to kick off its 32-game conference slate with a four-game series against Pratt Community College. The split series is scheduled to begin on Thursday, March 9th with a 1 PM doubleheader in Concordia before seeing the series shift to Pratt for a 1 PM doubleheader on Saturday, March 11th.