Nabbing their first wins in Jayhawk Eastern Division play at home Wednesday probably allowed Allen County Community College’s Red Devils to exhale a little. The ACCC softball team came off a good showing at the Midwest Classic last weekend but still were 0-2 in conference play.
That was until Wednesday. Allen County gave up just two runs in two games to Fort Scott Community College’s Greyhounds. The Red Devils won 5-0 in the first game then got a 10-2 run-rule win in five innings for the second contest.
“As a coach, I knew these games were going to be tough since we had played Fort Scott and run-ruled them at the Midwest Classic. And it’s always tough to play a team right after you’ve done that,” said Ed Wilkerson, ACCC head coach.
“These were good wins for us. We played pretty good ball (Wednesday).”
The Red Devils are 2-2 in conference and 14-8 overall. They host Pratt for a doubleheader Friday starting at 3 p.m. then Dodge City Community College comes to ACCC Saturday for a doubleheader at 1 p.m.
Allen County travels to Arkansas City to play Cowley County Community College Sunday.
“I’m starting to figure out a batting order for our team. The girls are coming through in spots and picking each other up which is good to see,” Wilkerson said. “Defensively, we’ve played pretty steady so far this season.”
Against Fort Scott, sophomore Lenzie Boring limited the Greyhounds to four hits and walked only two in a shutout victory. Boring struck out six batters.
The Red Devils manufactured single runs in each of the first two innings. Kelsey Walters doubled and Boring singled in the first with Jenna Sigg driving in the run on a sacrifice fly. It was a ground-out by Brianne Smedley that drove in Kelci Owens, who had doubled to lead off the second inning.
Allen County plated two runs in the fourth and added a run in the fifth.
Owens, Walters and Kayla Johnston each had a double. Hitting a single each were Callie Umholtz, Boring, Sigg and Denise Swanson.
Fort Scott scored twice in the first inning of the second game. With two out in the bottom of the inning, Sigg was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a single by Umholtz. Down 2-1, the Red Devils used four singles and a Fort Scott error to score three runs in the second.
The Greyhounds allowed Owens and Hill to reach on errors in the third. Tesla Allison singled and Walters doubled to push across two runs.
Freshman pitcher Alex Hill worked around a leadoff triple by the Greyhounds in the top of the fourth. Hill got a ground-out and struck out two to get out of the inning. She got the win as she gave up five hits, did not walk a batter and struck out six.
Allen County produced two runs in its half of the fourth. Allison drew a walk to start the fifth and Ashley Ribelin doubled. Walters walked and Swanson singled. An RBI single by Sigg brought the game to a halt with the five-inning run-rule of an eight-run lead.
Umholtz was 3-for-3 with three singles while Sigg had two singles and three stolen bases. Walters finished with a single and a double. Swanson and Allison had two singles each. Ribelin doubled. Kylie Taylor and Hill each singled.
Red Devils sweep Hounds
