It was a heartbreaking way to end the week when the Allen Community College softball team fell to local rival Neosho in a couple of games Saturday.
The Lady Red Devils (10-23; 2-12) struggled to get much of anything going offensively in the 7-1 opening loss. Allen then watched their early 6-0 lead disappear in a game two loss, 12-7.
Game one
ACC pitcher Skyler Jackson kept the Panthers at bay for the first two innings, striking out six, but then allowed six runs and eight hits in her time on the mound.
The Panthers struck for two runs in the top of the third inning, three runs in the fifth and one run in the sixth and seventh innings. Carsyn McCue led Neosho at the plate by driving in three runs and collecting two hits.
Logan Cates was powerful for Neosho in the pitching circle, tossing 6.2 innings, allowing only one run on six hits and striking out eight Lady Red Devils.
Allen’s Brooklyn Goehring had a team-high three hits.
Game two
Allen looked to be in cruise control in the first two innings, scoring six runs. Neosho rallied and scored 10 runs in the final three innings in a 12-7 Allen loss. Allen reliever MaKayla McGinnis was tagged with the final five runs.
Bailey Cravens and Robin Todd each smacked two hits while Todd also drove in two runs. Ashley Tribble, Kylar Smith and Cravens each drove home a run in the early parts of the game. Tribble’s RBI came on a sacrifice fly and Allen snatched a 7-2 lead.
Neosho upped their play in the fifth inning, knotting the game up at 7-7 in the top of the sixth inning. Riley Kennedy was a critical force for the Panthers at the plate as she had three hits and knocked in two runs.
Hannah Duin, Lauren Fuller and Dina Marchoud also each drove in two runs for Neosho.
Ultimately, Neosho’s lineup was too much for Allen’s Brooklyn Ellis and McGinnis to handle. Neosho scratched across 15 hits and 12 runs through seven innings.
Allen hosts Kansas City Community College on Thursday at 2 p.m.
