Allen Community College’s baseball team was finally able to get its first home games in this season with a doubleheader against Coffeyville. Despite close games, the Red Devils weren’t able to get a win, losing 6-3 and 6-5.
“We’re playing 10 games in a seven-day stretch because of what the weather did to us. So, our bullpen is a premium right now,” coach Clint Stoy said. “Trying to get the most of those guys out of the pen as well as keeping them safe is our number one priority right now. If we have to take a loss on the account of a guy not throwing 125 pitches, I’m not going to be upset about that in March.”
Game one started with a quick 1-0 lead for Allen. Ryne Martinez’s grounder drove in Jeremy Thomas.
After Coffeyville tied it in the top of the second, Allen took the lead back in the bottom of the frame. Derrick Weir hit an RBI single to center, which scored Ben Aslett. Coffeyville answered with a RBI single in the top of the third and things were knotted up at 2-2 until the seventh inning of the seven inning game.
Coffeyville’s Matt Salamon started the inning with a bloop single that fell into right field. He made it to second on a sacrifice bunt and then wound up at third on a passed ball. After walking the next batter, ACC turned to pitcher Taylor Mah to try and induce a double play.
Instead, Coffeyville’s Alejandro Hernandez roped the pitch to center for a single that brought in both runners. After a two-RBI double, the Ravens took a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh.
The Red Devil bats didn’t go silently. Alex Lugo started the inning off with a leadoff homer on the second pitch he saw. Nate Ek followed with a bomb to left field — but, it was foul. On the next pitch, he drove the ball toward left center. Instead of extra bases, Coffeyville’s left fielder made a leaping catch right in front of the wall. A ground ball ended the game.
Allen’s luck didn’t get any better in the second game. Going into the bottom of the third inning, the Red Devils trailed 6-0. Coffeyville had a pair of two-run homers from Trent McMaster and Jonathan Caraballo. They started the game with a solo home run from Hernandez in the first inning.
The Red Devils got on the board with a three-run third. Zachary Bickling hit an RBI single to center field. A couple of wild pitches sent in the next two runs and suddenly Allen only trailed by three runs.
Neither team scored again until the sixth. Allen ended the drought in a big way with Thomas’ two-run home run. Allen was down 6-5.
“That’s just the makeup of this team and we’re never out of a game. They know it, they know we aren’t out of the game,” Stoy said. “We’re down 6-0 and guys come out of the bullpen and throw a lot of strikes. We make it 6-5 and have a chance to win it at the end. That’s all you can ask for. We kept trying to cut the lead in half and keep grinding and playing hard.”
In the bottom of the ninth, the Red Devils had a chance to win the game. Coffeyville had a right hander throwing, so Stoy sent up four straight left-handers.
“They made a move to a left handed pitcher. So, as soon as I saw a right hander come out of the pen, I went left, left, left, left and it worked,” Stoy said.
Weir and Martinez started off the inning with two infield pop-ups. Aslett got things going with a walk and Lugo had a clutch single to right field to put runners at the corners.
“Then, he was a straight fastball guy and the last guy I had on the bench was Luis (Pena) and he hit a one-hop line drive to the shortstop. Two feet to the left or the right of him and we win that game.”
Allen (2-9) hosts Cowley at 2 p.m. today for a doubleheader.
Coffeyville spoils ACC home opening doubleheader
