The Allen Community College Red Devils’ slide continues after they fell to the Kansas City Kansas Community College Blue Devils 7-1 and 8-7 in Monday’s rescheduled doubleheader.
After opening Jayhawk Conference play on a three-game win streak, the Red Devils experienced a dramatic shift in fortune after falling in their last five games. Monday’s losses knocked them out of the top five in the conference standings.
In the opener, the Red Devils did not get on the scoreboard until the sixth inning on a two-RBI grounder by sophomore first baseman Jena Hendrix, but that’s all of the offense they could manage.
Sophomore shortstop Bailey Campbell had a respectable day in the batter’s box after hitting in 3 of 4 attempts. On the mound, sophomore pitcher Camrynn Yardley returned to the lineup following an injury and tallied four strikeouts over seven innings while allowing seven earned runs.
Allen showed a bit more life in the finale but played from behind for most of the contest after a five-run fourth inning from KCKCC. The Red Devils clawed their way back into contention with a fourth-inning homer by freshman outfielder Ella McCammon. Then in the fifth inning, freshman catcher Makayla Hirschmann kept Allen’s momentum going with an RBI single.
After walking in a batter with the bases loaded, KCKCC pitchers gave up an RBI single to Hendrix, then an RBI single by sophomore second baseman Paxton Meyer pulled Allen within a pair of runs of the Blue Devils, 8-6. Campbell pulled Allen within a run with an RBI single, but that’s as close as the Red Devils would get as the Blue Devils held on for the victory.
Freshman Kirstyn Busby took the loss after giving up five earned runs over four innings, as well as five walks and a strikeout. Yardley came on in relief and tallied a pair of strikeouts with her one earned run and a hit.
With the loss, the Red Devils fall to 12-17 overall and 3-4 in the Jayhawk Conference. After heading on the road to face another conference rival in Independence Wednesday, the Red Devils return to Iola for a Saturday doubleheader against archrival Neosho County. First pitches for the weekend doubleheader are 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
