OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Johnson County Community College baseball team picked up a crucial series win over Neosho County Community College over the weekend. The teams split the first two games at JCCC on Friday afternoon, but came back to take both games at Chanute on Saturday, to remain two games back of Cowley for the top spot in the Kansas Jayhawk Conference.
Johnson County and Cowley play a four-game series later this week which could have huge implications on the conference title chase.
Starting pitching for the Cavaliers was the key to getting the series win. Sophomore right-hander Zachary Ebert handcuffed the Panthers in the first game on Friday. Ebert, who improved to 9-1 on the season, held Neosho County to only four hits over seven innings and came away with a season-high 13 strikeouts. It is his second-best strikeout performance of his career and his fifth 10-plus strikeout effort of the season. Earlier this season Ebert became the all-time leader in strikeouts at JCCC. He currently has 188. The previous record was 162.
Sophomore shortstop Chris Esposito and sophomore first baseman Malik Williams each and triple and drove in two runs to power the Cavaliers to the 5-3 win.
In the second game, Johnson County jumped out early with two runs in the bottom of the first, but the Panther took the lead for good with four runs in the third and they tacked on three more in the ninth for a 9-4 win.
In the third game, the first in Chanute, freshman right-hander Trey Ziegenbein overpowered the Panther hitters in his complete-game victory. He allowed just two runs of four hits and struck out 10 batters. It was his fourth-game 10-plus strikeout game of the season as he improved to 8-2 on the year.
Esposito had a double and a sacrifice to drive in four runs, and sophomore Anthony Amicangelo was 4-for-4 with two runs and RBI.
Sophomore right-hander Sloan Thomson remained perfect on the season improving to 9-0 overall with a 14-2 win in the final game of the series. He scattered nine hits and allowed just two runs with six strikeouts. Sophomore right-hander Cam Wynne pitched a scoreless ninth in relief.
Esposito, Amicangelo and sophomore third baseman Blake Shannon each drove in two runs. Amicangelo is now batting .529 on the season, second-best in the NJCAA. Williams had three hits, including a solo home run, upping his season total to a team-best nine on the year. He has 26 for his career, sixth-best in team history.
Prior to the big conference series with Cowley, the Cavaliers will host Baker University JV on Tuesday, April 23 at 4 p.m., for their final non-conference game of the 2019 campaign.