Allen splits with Johnson County on diamond

The Red Devils combined to shut out Johnson County's hitters in one of this past weekend's games while the Cavaliers won the final game of the weekend by one run in the final innings. It was an even split between a couple of teams expected to be battling it out in the KJCCC this spring.

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April 3, 2023 - 2:32 PM

Allen right-hander Nic Bessecker is on the mound in an earlier game. REGISTER/QUINN BURKITT

OVERLAND PARK — The Allen Community College baseball team split a four-game series against Johnson County over the weekend. 

The Red Devils (17-16; 8-8) dropped game one on Thursday due to a tough hitting game from Johnson County, 8-2, before Allen threw a combined shutout in the second game, 8-0. Allen then etched out a win in the first game Saturday, 8-7, before dropping the finale, 5-4.

Game one 

There was turbulence for the Red Devils’ pitching and defense in their first game. Allen’s pitching served up runs in five innings. Allen was down 3-0 by the end of the second inning. 

Allen pushed one runner across in the third inning before scoring one more run in the fifth.

Garrett Rusch led the Red Devils at the plate where he collected three hits, while Braden Hendrix knocked two hits. Armando Navarro and Hendrix each smashed doubles. Allen couldn’t figure out Johnson’s pitcher, Luc Fladda. 

Fladda tossed seven innings, allowing only two runs on seven hits with nine strikeouts against Allen’s lineup. 

Brett Buchanan started the series on the mound and took the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits through 5.1 innings. Hunter Heavener recorded two outs in relief in the sixth and Ethan Nissen closed out the final inning by allowing two runs and two hits. 

Johnson County’s Jeremy Rader drove in a team-high four runs. 

Game two

Allen pitchers combined to shut out Johnson County’s hitters and allow only seven hits through nine innings in an 8-0 second game victory. 

Cade Schupp began the game on the mound and worked six innings, allowing only six hits with no runs and struck out one. Jack Neill pitched two innings and didn’t allow any runs on one hit before Jack Bland held Johnson hitless in the final inning. 

The Red Devil bats scored two runs in the second inning and four runs in the third. Allen then brought home one more run in each of the fifth and eighth innings. Braden Hendrix led the way driving in four runs including a home run. 

Gabe Glenn drove in another two runs while Blake Venneman, Brandon Harper and Patrick Mulligan each drove in one run. Hendrix and Glenn went for home runs while Glenn also smacked a triple and Hendrix had a double. 

Game three    

Allen outlasted Johnson County in the first game Saturday and pulled away in the seventh to make it a three-run game before Johnson County scored a pair in the bottom of the seventh for Allen to cling onto the 8-7 victory. 

Navarro drove in a team-high three runs while Mulligan, Hendrix and Harper each knocked in one run as well. Venneman and Navarro each had a team-high two hits and the Red Devils were able to take down Johnson County with their bats in the second win of the weekend.

Nic Bessecker started on the mound and allowed three runs to score on three hits through 2.2 frames of baseball. Noe Stroer then pitched in relief and served up another two runs through 2.1 innings. Jack Bland then gave up another two runs in the final two innings. 

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