OVERLAND PARK — The Allen Red Devils remain in the hunt for second in the Jayhawk Conference after upsetting the 12th-ranked Johnson County Community College Cavaliers while splitting Saturday’s doubleheader. Allen dropped the opener, 9-8, before bouncing back to win the finale, 6-5.
Following many shortfalls against the Cavaliers in the past, Saturday’s extra-inning loss to a walk-off home run in the opener seemed business as usual but the Red Devils had other plans. A two-out double by freshman right-fielder Kara Walker drove in the game-winning run in the finale.
“Neosho beat them on Thursday and we handed them their second Saturday,” Allen coach Nicole Peters said. “We should have swept them, but I’ll settle for a split.”
Trailing by a pair of runs heading into the fourth inning, a two-run homer by freshman shortstop Taylor Damme put the Red Devils on the scoreboard. The Cavaliers responded with four more runs in the fourth inning. Walker’s first home run of the day kept Allen in contention during the fifth inning. Damme homered again in the fifth inning.
Damme and Walker tied for the team lead in RBIs with three each,
A bases-loaded walk tied the game 6-6 in the seventh, then a double-play by second baseman Addie Keys and freshman pitcher Andrea Ruby forced a pop-out that took the contest into extra innings.
The Red Devils and Cavaliers went back and forth from there with Walker and sophomore third baseman Hope Sanchez posting a pair of RBI singles, but a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning ultimately put JCCC on top.
Ruby took the loss with a strikeout over nine innings while allowing nine runs on 12 hits and three walks. Walker and Damme tied for the team lead in hits with three each. Sanchez and Keys had two hits each.
The Red Devils would not be denied in the nightcap.
They scored four unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth inning to hold on for the win. Another Damme homer put Allen on the scoreboard in the second inning. Sophomore first baseman Kalyse Abernathy took the Red Devils’ lead to 2-0 after scoring on a wild pitch.
Similar to the opener, JCCC retook the lead with five unanswered runs in the second and third innings. As the Cavaliers fell apart with three errors, Allen remained firm. Walker pulled Allen within a run after an RBI double, then later scored after a Damme bunt forced an infield error. Walker struck again with her game-winner.
Walker and Damme tied for the team lead in hits with two each. Walker also led with three RBIs.
Keys picked up the win with her complete-game effort. She allowed five runs on eight hits and three walks.
The Red Devils are tied with Kansas City Kansas Community College for third in the conference at 10-6. Cowley is second at 12-4 and JCCC is first at 16-2. The Cavaliers wrap up their regular season Saturday against Independence (8-33, 2-14). Cowley faces Neosho (17-23, 8-8) Tuesday then wraps up against Cloud County Community College (18-14, 9-7) Thursday.
The Red Devils faced Cloud Monday, but the results were not available at press time. They wrap up the regular season on the road Thursday with a doubleheader against Coffeyville (13-23, 6-12).
“We just play it game by game and show up and do our thing. That’s all we can do,” Coach Peters said.
