COFFEYVILLE — Allen Community College’s batters hit their stride in both games of a road doubleheader Thursday. UNDAUNTED, the Red Devils’ first five batters in game 2 reached base as part of a seven-run outburst.
The Red Devil pitchers had a rougher go of it.
The Red Devils failed to hold leads of 5-0 in the first game and 7-0 in the nightcap, dropping both games to Coffeyville, 14-10 and 15-8.
The losses are Allen’s seventh and eighth in a row. The Red Devils (5-14 overall) remain winless in Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division play.
Quick starts weren’t enough for the Red Devils.
Allen led 5-0 before Coffeyville came to bat in the opener. Trevor Kreifel, Chase Egelston and Cole Slusser had RBI singles.
Coffeyville responded with four in its half of the inning to keep things tight, but Allen stayed on top with a run in the third. Kreifel’s two-run homer in the fourth pushed the lead to 8-4.
Kyle Foster’s sacrifice fly in the sixth scored Levi Ashmore to put the Red Devils on top 9-5 before the bottom dropped out.
Coffeyville sent 13 to the plate in the sixth, scoring nine, to take the lead for good, 14-9.
Drew Walden walked with one out in the seventh and scored on Sean Maruo’s double for Allen’s final run.
John Prohaska took the loss, surrendering eight hits in four innings with three walks and two strikeouts. Geoffrey Borque gave up five hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning. Zachary Maskill gave up four hits and five runs in 2 2/3 innings of work.
Tyler Buss got the win for Coffeyville, despite allowing four hits, six runs and three walks in two innings of work.
Kreifel went 2-for-4, Slusser singled twice, Maruo had a double, and Ashmore, Foster and Egelston had singles.
Foster and Kreifel had RBI singles, Jake Waters and Austin Griffin drove in runs with doubles. Maruo’s triple drove in Griffin and Trey Francis singled to push the score to 7-0.
The lead didn’t last long.
Coffeyville plated four in the first to stay close, and six more in the second to take the lead.
Ashmore singled to lead off the third, where he scored on Waters’ sac fly to cut the deficit to 10-8, but Coffeyville responded with three more in its half to lead by five.
Allen had multiple runners reach base in innings 7-9, but went a combined 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position during the stretch.
Keil Stauffer took the loss for Allen, allowing eight hits in 1 1/3 innings. Auston Weldy gave up three hits in three innings, Chris McPherson allowed five hits in 1 2/3 innings, while Jarred Latta pitched two hitless innings of relief.
Conner Taylor allowed six runs and five hits in one-third of an inning, but still picked up the win.
The rest of the Red Raven pitching corps scattered eight hits over 8 2/3 innings of work and allowed only two runs with eight strikeouts.
Griffin and Francis each had two hits, including a double. Ashmore, Kreifel and Waters each singled twice. Maruo tripled; Foster and Egelston added singles.
The Red Devils wrap up the four-game series against Coffeyville at noon today with a home doubleheader.
A busy week lies ahead with a doubleheader at Evangel University in Springfield, Mo., on Tuesday, a single game at Butler County Wednesday before a four-game set next Thursday through Saturday against Independence.
Red Devil struggles continue as Coffeyville wins in sweep
