Kirk Doyle isn’t quite sure what to make of his introduction to January weather in Kansas.
Doyle, the new head baseball coach for Allen Community College, had to adjust the team’s schedule this week for a four-game series against Pratt Community College.
Because Pratt still had snow on its baseball fields in midweek, the teams instead moved their opening doubleheader to Iola Wednesday afternoon, “where it was 55 degrees,” he noted.
“Just for the sake of my sanity, I’m working on getting palm trees and cactuses installed here, so we at least think it’s spring training,” he joked.
Regardless, the Red Devils got off to a fine start, winning both games, 7-3 and 9-6.
The teams will be in Pratt — hopefully the snow has melted there, too — for a Saturday twin bill.
“It actually worked out good for us,” he said. “I’d rather play them at home to start, and now we can get a weekend road trip, and some good team bonding.”
Late rallies did the trick for the Red Devils in both games.
Allen trailed 3-0 after 2 ½ innings of the opener before rallying for two in the third and five in the sixth.
Some sterling relief work from Saul Bolivar did the trick. Bolivar pitched three innings of one-hit baseball with a strikeout. Jace Arnold pitched a hitless seventh to earn the save.
Arnold also had a hand in the offensive fireworks, going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Meese Robberse also had a single and double with two runs scored. Logan Marin singled twice. Tyson Amankrah had a triple, Bjarne Riehnardt a double and Cooper Bates a single.
Jarrett Bell pitched three innings to start the game, allowing five hits with a strikeout.
KADEN WINT played the role of the offensive instigator in the nightcap, going 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs. Trent Lavicky doubled and drove in two. Logan Martin also had a double. Amankrah scored three times and had a pair of singles.
Allen scored four times in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. Then, after Pratt responded with four its own in the top of the fifth to retake a 5-4 lead, the Red Devils responded with a five-spot to take a 9-5 lead.
Allen’s bullpen took it from there.
Manuel Toro earned the win, allowing two hits over 1.2 innings with a strikeout. Brodie Gleasan worked around three walks to earn the save. He also struck out three in his inning of work.
They pitched in relief of Miller Tavaglione, who allowed three hits over 4.1 innings with a pair of strikeouts.
