KANSAS CITY, Kan. - The No. 10 softball team faced their toughest conference opponent to date on Saturday, hosting No. 17 Labette CC in a doubleheader. The Blue Devils sputtered in the first game falling 13-6, but held their ground and picked up a key conference 7-5 victory in the final contest.
The Blue Devils stand at 16-4 overall and 3-1 in the KJCCC.
In game one, Labette would take a 3-0 lead that lasted through the first four and a half innings. The Blue Devils were able to get their offense going in the bottom of the fifth as they tacked on a 5-3 advantage, which was ignited by a three-run bomb from McKenna Lester. Lindsey Gettle added a two-run single as extra insurance for the Blue Devils. The difference in the game would be a nine-run scoring output by the Cardinals their next time at bat. Labette led 12-5 going into the bottome of the sixth bfore each team added one more run in the game, leading to a 13-6 loss for KCKCC.
Lester led the team with three hits and three RBI. Breanna Droge was credited with her first loss of the year in the circle, yet still boasts an 8-1 record.
Game two was a back-and-forth battle as neither team flinched. After Labette added two runs in the first inning, the Blue Devils struck back for a pair their first time at bat. The Cardinals then led 3-2 after two innings, but a three-run third frame gave the Blue Devils a 5-3 lead. The Cardinals would tie the game in the fourth and both teams would play to a 5-5 tie heading into the sixth inning. Labette was unable to get anything across the plate, but the Blue Devils stepped up and broke the tie in the bottom half. After a baserunner reached, Ruby Nola stepped in to pinch hit and delivered with a two-run shot over the fence. The home run led to the Blue Devils key win over the Cardinals to avoid the sweep.
Emma De Brouwer, Lester and Gettle each had two hits in the game. Nola, Bradi Basler and Savannah Maynard totaled two RBI apiece.
Basler earned the win in the circle throwing a complete game and striking out three.
KCKCC returns to play on Thursday when they play at Independence Community College at 2 and 4 p.m.
