Cloud County Sports Information
CHANUTE - Runs would be at a premium on Saturday afternoon as the Cloud County Community College baseball team would split a road non-conference doubleheader at Neosho County Community College by picking up a 3-2 win before falling 2-1 in game two at Hudson Field in Chanute.
Following the split of the two-game regular-season series with Neosho, Cloud County is now 17-14 overall while the Panthers move to 23-7 overall on the year as both will resume Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference action next week.
GAME ONE
Allowing two runs on two hits in the bottom of the first to trail 2-0 after an inning of play, CCCC would manage to get on the board in the top of the second as a leadoff walk for Demitri Shakotko would be followed by a Brock Wollin hit batter to put a pair of runners on with no outs. Two quick outs would see Neosho nearly get out of the inning unscathed but allow a game-tying two-RBI double to sophomore Karson Green to tie things at 2-2. NCCC would threaten to reclaim the lead in the bottom of the second as each of the first two batters would safely reach base before a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position with just one out. Back-to-back strikeouts from T-Bird starting pitcher Mason McConnaughey would put any chance for Neosho to go back up to rest however as CCCC would manage to keep things tied heading into the third.
Putting a leadoff base runner on to begin the third, Cloud County would use a pair of groundouts to move Gavin Roy to third before coming around to score on an inning-extending fielding error by the Panther defense to allow the T-Birds to take their first lead of the day. CCCC would once again run into some trouble defensively in the bottom of the third before inducing an inning-ending double play to strand a Neosho runner in scoring position before stranding a runner of their own as things would remain a 3-2 contest heading into the fifth.
After seeing both teams retired in order in the fifth, Cloud County would be set down in order for a second-straight inning to give the Panthers some potential momentum while trailing by a run. Working around a two-out double, the T-Birds would manage to keep their lead and carry it into the seventh where they would strand an insurance run after a leadoff double by Green would end up at third on a balk before an inning-ending groundout. Having managed to strand five NCCC runners through six innings, Cloud County would once again be forced to work to protect their one-run lead in the final inning of the game as reliever Cole Askew would issue a one-out walk before getting a strikeout and infield popout to end the game and earn his fourth save of the year for a T-Bird victory.
The three runs for CCCC would come on just four hits and two walks as Green would lead Cloud County with a two-for-three effort with the lone T-Bird extra-base hit and only two RBI. The remaining two hits would come from Roy and Diaz with Diaz also drawing one of the two walks issued by Neosho. Picking up the win on the mound in relief would be sophomore Jack Mount to improve to 2-3 overall after throwing four shutout innings and allowing just four hits while striking out three as the T-Bird pitching staff would record seven total strikeouts. McConnaughey would record three of the remaining four strikeouts along with the one strikeout from Askew in the seventh.
GAME TWO
A nearly identical start to the game would once again see Cloud County fall into a 2-0 hole after an inning of play as NCCC would use a leadoff hit batter to set up a two-run home run to jump out to an early lead just two batters into the game. The one hit would one of just four total hits recorded by the two teams through the first three innings of play as CCCC would strand a two-out single in the second before working around a two-out double by Neosho in the bottom of the third.
Finding other ways to put runners on base in the top of the fourth, Cloud County would threaten to cut into the Neosho lead with Danny Infante getting hit by a pitch followed by a Landon Meyer walk, but back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning would see both runners left aboard to keep the Panther lead at two. NCCC would follow suit by stranding two runners in the bottom of the fourth as offense would still remain missing for both squads as the game would remain 2-0 after five innings of play.
In the top of the sixth, CCCC would finally work their way onto the scoreboard as Infante would uncork a one-out solo home run to cut the deficit for Cloud County in half despite recording the lone T-Bird hit of the inning. Defensively, Cloud County would face just the minimum in the bottom of the sixth as a one-out walk would be erased on an inning-ending double play to give the T-Birds some potential momentum heading into the seventh needing at least one run to extend the game into the bottom of the inning. Drawing a leadoff hit batter to put the game-tying runner on base, CCCC would also see Neosho issue a two-out walk to put the go-ahead run on base but ultimately see a strikeout end the game with NCCC holding on for their third one-run victory of the year.
Limited again to just four hits, Cloud County would see their four hits come from four different players with Infante, Kolden Howerton, Anthony Taggart, and Paul Schuyler each recording one hit. On the mound, both Cayden Castellanos and Brady Stuewe would throw two innings each with Castellanos giving up the only two Neosho runs of the game on one hit while Stuewe would strike out two and allow three hits. Also seeing time would be Will Yamka (0.2 innings) and Mason Munz (1.1 innings), with the two allowing just one hit to the Panthers.
What's next?
Cloud County is off until Thursday when KJCCC West Division play resumes with a 1 p.m. road doubleheader at Hutchinson Community College. The Blue Dragons swept a home doubleheader against Butler Saturday afternoon to improve to 18-15 overall and 9-7 in the KJCCC after earning a 3-1 series victory against the Grizzlies.