Alan Hoskins
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
College Advancement
Kansas City Kansas Community College used some final inning dramatics to get Jayhawk Conference play off to a 2-0 start Saturday.
After a 12-4 opening game win over Labette at Parsons, the Blue Devils rallied from a 5-3 deficit in the seventh inning and then left the tying and winning runs in scoring position in a 7-6 win. The sweep boosted the Blue Devils’ overall record to 4-0 heading into the home season opener Tuesday against Highland at 1 p.m. at Mid-America Sports Complex.
Sophomore Zach Frerichs delivered the big blows in the nightcap, a solo home run to give KCKCC an early 1-0 lead and then a two-out, bases-loaded double that broke a 5-5 deadlock in the top of the seventh. The Blue Devils took advantage of Labette wildness to set up Frerichs’ game-winning double. Pinch-hitters Jarid Renzelman and Dean Whiteside walked with one out and Blake Stroth drew a free pass to load the bases with two out. Nate Wilder was then hit by a pitch for one run and Dale Ricketts drew a walk to tie it and bring Frerichs to the plate.
“We really had some good at bats to work the walks,” said KCKCC assistant coach Matt Goldbeck. “Stroth and Ricketts both fouled off some good pitches.” Limited to just four hits, KCKCC’s other big blow was struck by Wilder, who tripled in a run in a two-run third for a 3-0 lead.
The bottom of the seventh was not without its share of excitement as Labette scored once on a walk, single, wild pitch and hit batter and had runners at second and third when freshman reliever Ricky Ideus got the final out on a fly ball to left field.
Sophomore Brandon Kelley and Ricketts each had two hits and supplied the big blows in the opening 12-4 win. Kelley put the game out of reach with a grand slam home run in a six-run seventh inning while Ricketts also homered and drove in two runs in support of Austin Etling, who got his second win by scattering eight hits over 6.1 innings.