Red Devils set sights on playoff berth

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Sports

April 21, 2014 - 12:00 AM

Allen Community College’s baseball team didn’t meet all of its goals over the weekend.
“We were hoping to win at least two out of these four” against Fort Scott, head coach Val McLean said. “That didn’t happen.”
But, the Red Devils were able to win the finale of the four-game, weekend series, which puts ACC in line for a potential playoff berth.
Allen’s 4-1 win gave the Red Devils a split of Saturday’s doubleheader — they lost the opener, 10-5 — and puts ACC at 7-25 in Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division play, the same record as Highland and one game above Labette in the standings. The three teams are vying for the eighth and final playoff spot.
Allen holds a tie-breaker over Highland, courtesy of the teams’ head-to-head record this season.
“This puts us in eighth,” McLean said, “for now.”
Both teams have four Eastern Division games remaining this season. Allen hosts Kansas City, Kan., for two games Thursday before returning to KCK for another doubleheader Saturday.
Highland takes on Johnson County in a four-game series starting Thursday, while Labette plays Cowley.

SALVAGING THE final game of the four-game slate against Fort Scott — the Greyhounds swept a pair against the Red Devils Thursday — was keyed by Trever Kreifel’s ability to pitch out of jams.
Kreifel surrendered only  two hits in six innings of work. But he walked seven, hit two others and threw 122 pitches.
“Trever was effectively wild,” McLean said. “That’s the best way to say it. He pitched a good game. He gave up only a couple of hits, but way too many walks. But he was able to pitch out of those jams.”
The Greyhounds stranded 14 runners; four times they left the bases loaded when the third out was recorded.
In keeping with Mah’s standard, a pair of relievers also escaped prickly jams.
Taylor Mah came on with the bases loaded and two down in the seventh. He induced a pop fly to first from Fort Scott’s Parker O’Dell.
“That was a big, big out,” McLean said.
Keil Stauffer then picked up the save, but not before trouble beckoned once again in the ninth.
A one-out single and walk put runners on first and second before Fort Scott loaded the bases on a controversial call at third base. Allen shortstop Levi Ashmore ranged far to his right to field a ground ball by Fort Scott’s Josh Griffith. He threw to third for a potential force play, but the umpire called the runner safe.
McLean argued to no avail.
Red Devil catcher Drew Walden then made the defensive play of the game. He spun around and made a nifty spinning catch as Austin Oakes’ pop foul fell just in front of the backstop.
“Drew’s play was huge,” McLean said. “It was just a great, great play.”
Stauffer ended the game by retiring O’Dell on a fly ball to center.
“Keil made it a little exciting, but he did a good job,” McLean said.
Allen wasted little time in seizing the upper hand.
Ashmore singled to lead off the first and scored on Kyle Foster’s base hit. Chase Egelston followed with a double to score Foster.
A bases-loaded hit by pitch allowed Fort Scott to close the gap to 2-1 in the top of the third before Foster re-established a 3-1 with a solo home run in the bottom of the inning.
Clint Heffern singled to lead off the fifth for the Red Devils. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and third on a ground ball before scoring on a fielding error by Fort Scott’s shortstop.
“Clint has started hitting the ball well,” McLean said. “He’d been struggling all season, but he had a good day today, in both games.”
Heffern also made a pair of nifty plays at second, including a key double play in the top of the eighth.
Foster’s 3-for-4 performance at the plate led the Allen offense, including a home run. Ashmore and Walden both singled twice, while Egelston and Trey Francis both had doubles. Heffern and Austin Griffin both singled once.
Zachary Maskill also pitched for Allen, giving up two walks in two-thirds of an inning with a strikeout. Mah pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit. Stauffer walked one and allowed a hit in his inning of work.

FORT SCOTT seized control of Saturday’s opener with a four-run third against Allen starter Derek Pike.
The Red Devils, conversely, scored in five separate innings, but could never plate more than one run in any of them. Cole Slusser had an RBI single in the second, Walden’s single drove in a run in the third and Kreifel homered to lead off the fifth to pull ACC to within 7-4.
Walden’s solo shot in the bottom of the seventh pulled Allen to within 10-5.
Pike took the loss, giving up seven hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out three. Logan Bausch pitched two innings of relief, giving up three hits with a strikeout.
Walden went 2-for-4 with a home run. Heffern singled twice. Kreifel homered, while Maruo chipped in with a double.
Ashmore, Camdon Myers and Slusser added singles.

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