BALDWIN CITY — Runs were hard to come by on a miserable day for baseball Thursday as Allen Community College traveled to take on Baker University’s JV squad.
The Red Devils were limited to three hits in the opener, a 2-0 loss, and four hits in a 5-2 defeat in Game 2.
The setbacks drop ACC’s record to 16-14. The teams are in Iola Saturday for the final two games of the four-game series.
The Game 1 loss spoiled a masterful pitching performance by Allen’s Jackson Rains, who allowed five hits and one earned run over six innings, while striking out eight.
Two walks, an error and an RBI grounder accounted for Baker’s first run in the bottom of the first.
A walk, ground-out to move the runner to second base and a single in the next inning made it 2-0.
Rains worked around a leadoff single in the third, a leadoff double in the fourth, a walk and single in the fifth, and a leadoff double in the sixth to keep Baker in check from there.
Problem was, Allen’s offense also came up empty as scoring chances arose.
Nathan Bach led off the second with a single. He stole second and moved to third on a ground ball, but was stranded in scoring position.
Sean Gomez Jr. singled with one out in the seventh. An error then put runners on first and second with two outs, but a ground ball ended the threat.
Bach, Gomez and Lucas Banta had ACC’s only hits in the contest.
The Red Devils manufactured a run in the top of the first in Game 2 to take an early 1-0 lead. Sal Jacobo walked to lead off the game.He moved to second on a passed ball and third on a ground out by Levi Bennett and scored on Josh Prinner’s sacrifice fly.
But a fielding error helped grease the skids for a two-run Baker rally in the bottom of the frame.
Baker tacked on another run in the third and two more in the fourth to make it 5-1.
Allen’s Brady Wiggin singled to lead off the fifth, part of a 3-for-3 day at the plate. He went to second on a wild pitch and third on a fly ball. A ground-out by Rhett Yaggers scored Wiggin to make it 5-2.
Sawyer Rolland pitched into the fourth inning. He gave up five hits and struck out three. Patrick Babcock came on in relief and allowed two hits with two strikeouts. Jacob Shope struck out one in his single inning of hitless relief.
