INDEPENDENCE — A tough season got even tougher over the weekend for Allen Community College’s baseball team, which fell short in both games of a doubleheader, despite some strong starting pitching in both games. THE RED DEVILS also jumped out quickly in the opener. Griffin singled in a run in the top of the first and doubled in a run in the top of the third. Francis scored on both hits. ALLEN RETURNS home Thursday for a doubleheader against Labette before heading to Parsons to complete the four-game series on Saturday. A home doubleheader scheduled for Tuesday against Ottawa University’s junior varsity has been canceled.
Host Independence erased a 3-0 deficit with three in the fifth and three more in the sixth to win, 6-3, in the opener.
The Pirates then scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to win Game 2, 3-2.
The losses are Allen’s 14th and 15th in a row. The Red Devils remain winless in Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division play (0-16) and are 5-21 overall.
Independence earned the come-from-behind win in the second game by barely lifting the bat. A one-out walk and single preceded an intentional walk to load the bases. Reliever Keil Stauffer then threw eight consecutive balls to walk in the tying and winning runs.
The defeat erased a dandy pitching performance by Trever Kreifel, who allowed six hits and struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings. Zach Maskill took the loss. He allowed three hits in 1 2/3 innings.
Allen led 1-0 in the first after Trey Francis doubled in Levi Ashmore. Singles by Kyle Foster and Chase Egelston in the top of the fourth preceded Drew Walden’s sacrifice fly to push the advantage to 2-0.
Independence sliced the lead in half with a run in the bottom of the fifth.
Ashmore reached on an error to start the top of the seventh, but he was stranded at third. Allen also left the bases loaded in the fifth and did not have a hit after the fourth-inning rally.
Austin Griffin and Camdon Myers added singles to the Red Devil attack.
A bases-loaded walk to Foster scored Myers for the third run. But a ground out by Kreifel ended the scoring threat.
Two errors, a passed ball, two hits and a sac fly allowed Independence to tie the score at 3-3 in the fifth.
The Pirates’ Jacob Bryant broke the 3-3 tie with an RBI single in the sixth. Denahm Morton followed with a two-run single for the final margin.
Allen put two runners on base in the seventh, when Foster reached on a leadoff error and Walden singled with two outs. But Independence closer Tyler Morrill induced a ground ball by Myers to end the contest.
Derek Pike was the tough-luck loser, allowing eight hits and two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out two and walked four. Geoffrey Borque allowed a hit in one-third of an inning.
Ashmore and Myers also had hits for Allen.
ACC struggles continue
