Players and coaches alike acknowledged Allen County Community College’s softball team was not as sharp as it needed to be last weekend. The Red Devils overcame some uncharacteristic miscues to win their opening round playoff series.
“We have to be better this weekend,” said Ed Wilkerson, ACCC head softball coach. “We’re one of four teams with an opportunity to win it all in Region VI and get to the national tournament.”
The Red Devils defeated Hesston, taking two of three games, last weekend at home. They advance to this weekend’s Region VI, Division II, District E tournament in Topeka at Hummer Park.
Allen County (40-17) plays Highland (35-11) at noon Saturday. In the other opening game of the double-elimination tournament, Cowley (38-15) plays Pratt (34-18).
Sophomores Lenize Boring, who will be the starting pitcher for ACCC, Callie Umholtz, Kylie Taylor and Jenna Sigg agreed that the team did not play as well as it needed to against Hesston. They pointed out that not playing the week going into the playoffs might have hampered them a bit.
“This is a bunch that seems to play better when we’re playing a lot. This week we’ve done a lot of live hitting and scrimmaging to get our edge back,” Wilkerson said.
“We need to play good in all phases of the game. All four teams are well balanced.”
Allen County split its conference games with Highland this season. ACCC’s Boring is ranked as Region VI’s No. 1 pitcher and Sigg is the region’s No. 1 hitter.
ACCC sharpens up for playoffs
