CHANUTE — Allen Community College’s softball team narrowly missed out on what would have been one of the team’s most dramatic victories Sunday.
The Red Devils trailed 7-1 early before embarking on a spirited comeback that came up one run shy in a 10-9 loss to Johnson County.
The loss came after the visiting Cavaliers broke open a close game in the opener with two runs in the fifth and seventh innings to win, 6-1.
Sunday’s doubleheader was held at Chanute’s Santa Fe Park because of an ongoing turf replacement project at the ACC campus.
Sunday’s opener saw the Red Devils take the early lead after Kobe McDonald doubled and scored on Andrea Wilson’s single.
But the Red Devils came up dry on scoring opportunities in the third and fourth innings, stranding runners at third base in both frames. Bella Gravatt and Aubrey Willis hit back-to-back singles in the seventh for Allen’s other two hits in the contest, but the rally — and game — ended with a ground out.
Wilson allowed six hits with two strikeouts before Madelynn Collins came on in relief and gave up two hits and two strikeouts.
Johnson County tied the score in the second, then pushed a run across in the top of the third to take a 2-1 lead. Aubrey Griffith’s two-run double with two outs in the top of the fifth gave the Cavaliers a pair of insurance runs. Emma Stanwix capped the scoring with a two-run home run in the seventh. Kyla Etter went the distance for the visitor, striking out four and allowing four hits.
IN GAME 2, the squads were knotted at 1-1 apiece after one, with Mikayla Long driving in Willis with a single for Allen’s run.
The Cavaliers went deep three times in the second inning, blasting to a 7-1 advantage, but Allen responded with three in the bottom of the frame.
Allen’s first two batters were retired before a double and two walks loaded the bases for Alayna Brown, who blasted a triple to center to cut the gap to 7-4.
The lead was 8-4 when McDonald’s double and a Johnson County error pulled Allen to within 8-6.
Johnson County then scored twice more to make it a 10-4 lead before Allen’s final challenge of the game. Makayla Howard doubled to open ACC’s sixth inning and scored on Gravatt’s line drive single. Brown singled one out later, and both scored on McDonald’s single, making it 10-9.
But Johnson County’s Kayin Watkins ended the scoring threat, retiring the last five ACC batters of the contest.
The Red Devils rapped out nine hits. Brown went 3-for-4 with a double, while Howard doubled twice. McDonald added a pair of singles, while Long and Gravatt had one hit apiece.
Cynae Wiley took the loss, surrendering six hits with two strikeouts. Wilson came on in relief in the second, giving up six hits with three strikeouts.
