STERLING — Allen Community College stepped out of conference action to take one of two Tuesday against host Sterling College. ALLEN’S pitchers weren’t as fortuitous in the nightcap, surrendering 11 hits and four walks.
The Red Devils scored two in the top of the ninth to secure a 6-4 win over Sterling before the Warriors returned the favor in game 2, scoring twice in the ninth to win, 9-7.
The split puts Allen at 12-24 as the Red Devils return to action this afternoon. The Red Devils host Neosho County for a doubleheader before heading to Chanute Saturday for two more.
Chris McPherson picked up the win in Tuesday’s opener, thanks to a nifty defensive play by third baseman Trey Francis. With one out and the bases loaded, Francis snared a line drive, then doubled off the Warrior base runner at third to end the game.
Drew Walden broke the 4-4 deadlock in the top of the ninth with a line drive double to left, scoring Kyle Foster from first. Austin Griffin followed with an RBI single.
Prior to that, Allen’s three-run rally in the top of the third put the Red Devils in front, 3-0.
Trever Kreifel was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Walden walked to force in another run, and Chase Egelston scored on a wild pitch.
Sterling promptly responded with three of its own in the bottom of the inning, aided by a pair of Red Devil errors. Egelston’s RBI single in the top of the fourth scored Cole Slusser to push Allen back on top, 4-3, in the fourth.
A leadoff home run in the fifth for Sterling tied the score once again.
That set up four consecutive scoreless innings for the Red Devils bullpen.
Cunningham got the win, allowing four hits in three innings with a walk and two strikeouts. Taylor Mah allowed one hit in his three innings of work, with a walk. Auston Weldy got the start. He gave up three hits and three walks in three innings, with three strikeouts.
Walden led the offensive attack with two hits, including a walk. Egelston, Foster, Griffin and Slusser had one hit each.
The teams traded several shifts in momentum.
Walden again put ACC on top, 1-0, with an RBI single in the first. Camdon Myers reached on a Warrior error in the second. He moved to third on Sean Maruo’s single and scored on another Sterling miscue.
The Warriors responded with three in the bottom of the second to move in front, 3-2.
The lead was 4-2 before Egelston doubled and scored on Kreifel’s single in the top of the fifth.
Singles by Levi Ashmore and Francis preceded another Sterling error to cut the gap to 5-4. Egelston’s two-run double gave the lead back to Allen, 6-5. Kreifel’s RBI single pushed across another.
But Sterling scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to tie the score, 7-7.
Allen loaded the bases with nobody out, but could not score in the top of the eighth and went down 1-2-3 in the ninth to set up Sterling’s winning rally.
Keil Stauffer took the loss, giving up three hits in 1 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out three.
Logan Bausch got the start. He gave up seven hits in five innings with a walk. He struck out two.
Bryan Enriquez gave up a hit and a walk in 1 2/3 innings. He struck out three.
Egelston went 3-for-4 with two doubles. Kreifel and Maruo each singled twice. Ashmore, Francis, Foster, Walden and Myers each had one single.
Late rallies key as Red Devils pick up road split
