HUMBOLDT — Way back on Friday, before the weather took a turn for the obscene, it was actually baseball season for a few short, glorious hours.
With balmy weather in the 50s, it allowed Allen Community College’s baseball season to host Hesston for its season-opening doubleheader.
The teams worked a hard-earned split, with Allen taking the opener, 6-3, before Hesston came back to win the nightcap, 8-7.
Three runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth propelled the Red Devils in Game 1.
Allen trailed 2-1 before scoring the tying run on a throwing error in the fifth. Jonah Weisner’s two-run double later in the frame pushed ACC in front.
Brady Wiggin followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth. Logan Easterling capped the scoring later in the inning with an RBI single.
Brian Beers came on in relief to pick up the win, tossing three scoreless innings, allowing one hit with two strikeouts. Levi Bennett earned the save, allowing two hits and a walk in the top of the seventh. Jacob Davenport got the start and allowed four hits and two runs in three innings with three strikeouts.
Kurt Golubski’s sac fly in the bottom of the first staked Allen to a 1-0 lead.
Hesston responded with a two-run third to take the lead.
Allen batters took advantage of six walks in the contest.
A TWO-RUN home run by Hesston’s Justin Smith broke a 6-6 deadlock to put the Larks on top for good.
Allen rallied in the bottom of the inning with a walk and single, but could only pull to within 8-7 on Josh Prinner’s sacrifice fly.
Hesston then wriggled off the hook in the bottom of the seventh, ending the game with Red Devil runners on first and third.
The game was a back-and-forth affair from the get-go.
Allen plated a pair of runs in the second inning, RBI singles by Connor Clevenger and Levi Bennett, and twice more on an error and wild pitch in the third to take a 4-3 lead.
The Larks jumped back in front with a two-run fourth. Easterling’s RBI grounder in the bottom of the inning tied things up.
