PRATT – A strong pitching performance in game one and early run support in game two for the Cloud County Community College baseball team would lead to a road doubleheader sweep of Pratt Community College at Stanion Field in Pratt on Friday.
Winning by scores of 7-1 in seven innings in game one and 8-4 in game two, the T-Birds assure themselves at least a series split with the Beavers while improving to 13-11 overall and 5-5 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference. Pratt falls to 6-12 overall on the year while sitting at 1-5 in KJCCC West Division play.
Game one
Getting six runs between the second and fourth innings would be more than enough offense for starting pitcher Kolby Dougan to work with as the freshman right-hander would go six innings strong and allow just one run on six hits while striking out five. After a one-two-three inning for both teams in the first, CCCC would use a pair of hit batters and one-out single from Brock Hillebert to load the bases. Catcher Jose Luna would then hit into a fielder's choice, but a Pratt error would allow everyone to advance safely and bring home the first run of the game. Cloud County would then get an Adler Pierson RBI single to plate a second run as the T-Birds would score two runs on just the two hits.
Having a response in the bottom of the second, PCC would use back-to-back singles to start the inning to put a pair of runners on as a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly to cut the Cloud County lead in half. CCCC would manage to get out of the inning on a strikeout and go on to score a single run in the top of the third to go back up two runs after three innings of play.
The T-Birds would finally break things open in the fourth as a two-out rally would see a Jaden Parsons RBI single score Luna who had reached earlier in the inning with a leadoff walk before scoring himself on a Noah Olson two-RBI home run. With the three-run inning, Cloud County would go up 6-1 before holding Pratt scoreless in both the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings to maintain their five-run lead heading to the sixth.
Things would remain status quo in the sixth as neither team would be able to work a lone hit into any offensive production, sending things to the seventh where CCCC would use a Williams Camacho-Soto RBI double to plate Garrett Redden as an insurance run. The run would not be needed however as freshman Javier Cruz would come in and shut down the Beaver offense by allowing just one hit while getting a strikeout and two pop outs to end the game.
Dougan's outing would come on 88 pitches as the Topeka native would work his way back into the win column to improve to 4-2 on the year while Cruz would need just 11 pitches to work a scoreless seventh. Despite being limited to just seven hits, Cloud County would drive in all seven runs scored as Hillebert and Pierson would lead the way with two hits apiece.
Game two
With a series opening win in game one, the T-Birds would keep things rolling in game two by scoring a run in each of the first two innings before pushing across three runs in the top of the fourth with four hits including RBI singles from Ian Riley and Ty Wevers. Pratt would then get on the board with a solo run in the bottom of the fourth on a leadoff home run, but otherwise be kept in check by T-Bird starter Evan Wilde.
Following one-two-three innings in the fifth for both teams and a scoreless sixth inning, Cloud County would manage to add three more runs as all three runs would score with two outs. With runners on first and second, Williams Camacho-Soto would hit an RBI single to bring the score to 5-1 before Riley would deliver with a big two RBI double to score Camacho-Soto and Jacob Shaw.
Pratt would be able to respond with three runs of their own however in the bottom of the seventh as a pair of one-out walks would set the table for a three-run homer from Cason Long as the added runs in the top of the seventh would be erased in the bottom half of the inning. Neither team would be able to push any runs across in the ensuing inning, sending things to the ninth where Cloud County would go be held scoreless before returning the favor to Pratt by working around a leadoff walk to get a strikeout and two pop outs to secure the four-run victory.
Going 6.1 innings to get his second win of the year would be Wilde after throwing 95 pitches and striking out three while allowing four runs on five hits. Brady Kobitowich would throw 1.2 innings in relief and allow one hit while Rans Sanders would take care of the final inning where the freshman would hit PCC hitless. Offensively, it would be Riley who would lead the T-Birds with a three-for-four performance at the plate to go along with Cloud County's only extra-base hit of the game. Camacho-Soto would score twice while collecting two hits while five other CCCC players had at least one hit.
What's next?
Action between the T-Birds and Beavers will resume on Sunday when the series heads to Lee Doyen Field in Concordia for a 1 p.m. doubleheader. The games will mark the first time that Cloud County has hosted the back end of a four-game KJCCC series this year.
--cloudtbirds.com--