Allen Community College had trouble staying ahead in the count Saturday against No. 3 ranked Johnson County.
And as a result, the Red Devils had an equally tough time staying ahead on the scoreboard.
The first-place Cavaliers erupted for five runs in the third inning of their doubleheader opener and didn’t look back Saturday, cruising to a 15-4 victory.
The Red Devils were nose-to-nose with Johnson County in the nightcap before the Cavaliers broke a 4-4 deadlock with a three-run seventh and then erupted for nine in the eighth to prevail, 16-6.
“You can’t make mistakes against top 10 teams in the country, and that’s what we did,” Red Devil head coach Clint Stoy said.
The start was promising enough.
Mees Robberse doubled to lead off Allen’s half of the second inning. He came in to score on Bjarne Reinhardt’s two-run blast to push ACC on top, 2-0.
But back-to-back singles from Johnson County to start the third triggered a five-run rally, accentuated by a pair of walks, a hit batter and a two-run single from the Cavaliers’ Jesse Tisdell.
Anthony Talpa got a run back for Allen in the bottom of the third on a solo home run, cutting the gap to 5-3.
But Johnson County responded with two more in both the fifth and sixth innings.
Allen’s final tally came when Parker Martin doubled and scored on Reinhardt’s follow-up double.
But Johnson County responded with a wallop, plating sixt in the top of the seventh.
Reinhardt and Talpa each had a home run and double to pace Allen’s offense. Robberse and Martin each had doubles as well. Armando Navarro added a single.
Payton Pudenz got the start on the mound, giving up six hits over three innings with a pair of strikeouts. Saul Bolivar and Brandon McKarnin came on in relief, allowing a combined eight hits with six strikeouts. Walks and hit batters were key. Allen walked six batters and hit five.
JOHNSON COUNTY forged ahead, 4-0, in Game 2 before Martin got the Red Devils on the board with an RBI single in the fourth.
