FORT SCOTT — Allen Community College was able to fend off one Fort Scott rally Saturday.
But not a second.
The Red Devil softball bolted out to a 4-1 lead in the opening game of their doubleheader against Fort Scott, and then fended off a late rally to win, 5-4.
But the host Greyhounds erupted for 11 runs over the middle innings of the nightcap for an 11-3 victory.
Saturday’s split puts the Red Devils at 15-27 with doubleheaders Thursday at Kansas City and at home against Labette on Saturday to wrap up the 2022 regular season.
Allen racked up 12 hits in the opener, including Alayna Brown’s leadoff triple in the second. Aubrey Willis singled her in with one out before Haley Gedrose smacked a two-run double.
Madelynn Collins made the lead stand up from there, even after a two-out error in the fifth and a leadoff homer in the sixth allowed Fort Scott to pare Allen’s lead to 4-3.
But singles by Hailee Lundine and Mikayla Long, followed two batters later by Alayna Brown’s single, gave ACC a critical insurance run, which proved even larger when the Greyhounds mounted their final challenge in the bottom of the seventh with three walks and a wild pitch to pull back to within 5-4 with one out.
But Collins slammed the door, striking out the final two batters of the game with runners on the corners.
She struck out 10 over seven innings, allowing four hits.
Lacey Stamper’s leadoff single in the first turned into ACC’s first run when she came in on a two-out FSCC error.
Brown paced ACC’s offense with two singles and a triple. Willis went 2-for-4 with a double. Gedrose had a double. Stamper, Lundine and Kinsey Stuewe chipped in with singles.
MAKAYLA MCGINNIS pushed Allen on top briefly in the nightcap with her leadoff home run in the third, Allen’s first hit of the game.
But the Greyhounds responded with three in the bottom inning to take the lead for good. Long pared FSCC’s lead to 3-2 with a solo home run in the fourth, but Fort Scott responded quickly again, with two more in the bottom of the inning.
McGinnis singled to lead off the fifth, moved to second when Willis singled and scored on Gedrose’s sac fly.
But Fort Scott ended things in its half of the fifth with a six-run outburst.
