After two weeks of waiting through snow, rain and cold, the Allen baseball team finally took the field on Friday when they traveled to Neosho, Mo., to play host to Crowder College (Mo.) and Ellsworth Community College (Iowa). The Red Devils played one game against each team on Friday and two more versus Ellsworth on Saturday.
The Red Devils got wins in their first two games, beating Crowder 8-6 and Ellsworth 5-2 before falling to Ellsworth 11-6 and 19-8 on day two.
In game one, Crowder jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first but runs in the bottom of the second and third tied things up.
Crowder retook the lead scoring a run in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. A five-run seventh inning sealed things for the Red Devils giving them the win.
Reliever Jacob Davenport got the win, pitching the fifth and the sixth while allowing a run on two hits and two walks.
Closer Nate Postlethwait earned a save with a perfect seventh inning.
Right-fielder Brayden Whitchurch had three hits and catcher Nathan Vetter had two. Left fielder Justus Burke hit a solo home run.
In the second game, Allen got out to a quick 5-0 lead after three innings. Ellsworth drove in two in the top of the fourth but neither team could get anything else going offensively.
Starter Drew Young earned his first start going four innings while allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks with two strikeouts.
Reliever Benjamin Beutel got a three-inning save, allowing two hits and striking out five.
Catcher Lukas Rich led the Red Devils with three hits including a three-run homerun.
Allen returned to action the next day but to diminishing returns.
Both Ellsworth and Allen were tied up at five after two quarters before Ellsworth took a three-run lead in the top of the fifth.
The Red Devils responded with a run in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to just two runs but Ellsworth kept swinging the bat well and put up three more runs in the top of the sixth which proved to be more than enough for the win.
Reliever K.J. McCrea got saddled with the loss after pitching three innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk. He struck-out four.
