KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Allen Community College’s softball team is on a roll. THE OFFENSE hit high gear in the second game as ACC pounded out 14 hits, five for extra bases.
The Red Devils picked up their second and third wins in a row in commanding fashion Thursday, venturing out of conference to blast Maple Woods Community College, 8-2 and 13-3.
The victories give ACC its first winning streak of the 2014 season.
The Red Devils rode similar patterns to both victories: opportunistic hitting, solid defense and the right arm of Marissa Luna.
Luna gave up just four hits and a walk in her game 1 victory, while she allowed seven hits and a walk in game two. She allowed a combined two runs.
Allen wasted little time in taking the upper hand in the opener, before closing game 2 with a flourish.
The Red Devils jumped in front 1-0 of game 1, thanks to Annie Gentry’s leadoff single, a walk to Kayla Bourgeois and Bailey Burnett’s RBI grounder.
Jordan Barber was key in a two-run second, doubling in Shelby Maycumber before scoring on Gentry’s grounder.
A three-run fourth put the game securely in the visitors’ favor.
Shayla Stephens got things started by reaching on an error. Erika King pushed her to second with a single before Maycumber’s bunt single drove in Stephens. Barber’s single knocked in King before Reynolds hit a sacrifice fly for a 6-0 lead.
Maple Woods responded with two in the bottom of the fourth, courtesy of a walk, error and a two-run single by Rylee Olinger.
Luna held things in check until Stephens blasted a two-run double in the top of the seventh.
Barber went 3-for-4 with a double, while Stephens had a single and double. Gentry, Cassidy Reynolds, Bush, King and Maycumber all had singles.
Bourgeois’ two-run home run in the top of the sixth erased a 3-1 deficit, and broke open the proverbial floodgates.
Bush followed Bourgeois’ blast with a single. She scored on Stephens’ double for a 4-3 lead. King walked, setting up Stephens’ run as part of a double steal. King then scored on a single by L’Orien Pacheco.
The fun had just begun.
Barber and Gentry followed with singles before Reynolds smacked a two-run double for a 9-3 advantage.
The seventh inning was more of the same. Bush drilled a two-run homer, Barber added an RBI single, and Gentry’s grounder drove in King for the final tally.
A two-base error and passed ball allowed Burnett to give The Red Devils a 1-0 lead without courtesy of a hit in the top of the second.
That’s where it stood until Maple Woods evened the score, 1-1, on a double by Savannah Mesh, followed by a fielding error by the Red Devils. Mesh’s two-run double in the fifth put ACC in a 3-1 deficit.
Allen returns home Wednesday for two more games against Cottey College to wrap up the regular season.
ACC rolls
