T-Bird baseball falls to KCKCC in 1st game of Plains District tourney

CONCORDIA - Early morning offensive struggles would see the Cloud County Community College baseball team not put a runner on-base until the top of the seventh leading to a 5-1 defeat to No. 3 seed Kansas City Kansas Community College in the opening game of the 2022 NJCAA Plains District Tournament at Tointon Family Stadium at Kansas State University in Manhattan on Tuesday.

Dropping to Wednesday's 10 a.m. elimination against a yet-to-be-determined opponent, CCCC is now 41-17 overall while the Blue Devils move to 48-10 and advance to Wednesday's 4 p.m. winner's bracket game.

Following a one-two-three start to the game in the top of the first, the T-Birds would allow a leadoff single to KCKCC before a stolen base and wild pitch would move a runner into scoring position for the Blue Devils with one out. Kansas City Kansas would then break the scoreless tie with a sacrifice fly into right field as the throw would not be in time and be followed by a line out to third base to end the inning.

A pair of strikeouts along with a first-pitch groundout in the top of the second would lead to another quick inning in the second as KCKCC would once again turn a leadoff single into a run after a pair of stolen bases would lead to the second run of the game. Limiting the damage to just the one run however, would be CCCC starter Conner Woods by getting a line out to left field to end the inning and strand a pair of Blue Devil runners.

Things would remain status quo in the third as the T-Birds would once again be retired in order before giving up a leadoff solo home run to KCKCC and another solo run in the fourth following a hit batter to start the inning with a sacrifice fly making the score 4-0 in favor of Kansas City Kansas heading to the fifth.

Still looking for their first base runner, redshirt freshman Brock Wollin would nearly put Cloud County on the board by hitting a long fly ball to left field that would be caught just in front of the fence for an out and allow the Blue Devils to keep momentum and retire CCCC in order. Finally getting a clean inning in the bottom half of the inning, Cloud County would hold KCKCC scoreless for the first time all game but be unable to do anything in the sixth as a pair of infield popouts and a strikeout would leave the T-Birds hitless through six innings.

A potential two-out rally from KCKCC in the bottom of the sixth would see a pair of base runners reach on a hit-by-pitch and walk with the top of the order due up, but a strikeout by freshman Jack Mount would strand a pair of Blue Devil base runners to keep the game at a four-run deficit. Electing to go to a pinch-hitter in the top of the seventh, Cloud County would finally break up the perfect game with one out as Ian Riley would hit a base hit through the right side of the infield before seeing a line out to the shortstop put a second out on the board. Trying to extend the inning and make something out of their first base runner of the game, CCCC would see Wollin hit by a pitch on a two-strike count to put two runners on for Kolden Howerton who would hit an RBI single to get Cloud County on the board. With one of their top hitters in Tom Poole due up at the plate with two runners on, the Calgary, Alberta, Canada native would nearly drive in another two runs as a line shot right at the first baseman would be caught to end the inning and take away any momentum the T-Birds had been building.

The game-changing out to end the top of the seventh would allow Kansas City Kansas to get back up to the plate where a pair of two-out walks would prove costly for CCCC with an RBI single giving the run given up by the Blue Devils right back to make things a 5-1 game. Once again down by four, Cloud County would go down in order in the eighth before stranding a KCKCC runner in the bottom of the eighth and only muster a two-out single from Danny Infante as the Blue Devils would take the four-run victory.

Held to just three hits in the game, Cloud County would not draw a single walk for just the second time in 58 games this season and be held in check all game by KCKCC starting pitcher Camden Carlin who threw a complete game. All three of CCCC's hits would be singles with Riley, Infante, and Howerton providing the limited offense as eight strikeouts would also be costly for the T-Birds.

Three total pitchers would be used by Cloud County with Woods taking the loss after throwing three innings and allowing three runs on five hits before seeing Mount go four innings and allow two runs on one hit as four walks and two hit batters proved to be the big issue. Brady Stuewe would also appear for the T-Birds, throwing an inning and allowing just one walk while facing four batters.

What's next?
Another early wake-up call on Wednesday will see the T-Birds play in their third elimination of the postseason against either Hutchinson Community College or Barton Community College. Cloud County will be the home team if they play Hutchinson while they would be the road team against Barton. The Blue Dragons and Cougars play the 1 p.m. game on Tuesday to finish off the opening round of the bottom half of the bracket in Manhattan.