OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The No. 6-ranked Johnson County baseball team came away with a series win against Neosho County over the weekend, winning three of the four games. The Cavaliers now stand 37-7 overall and lead the KJCCC East Division with a mark of 21-3. Cowley also has three losses but is four games back in the win column at 17-3. The Cavaliers take on the Tigers in four-game series opening on Thursday, April 20 at JCCC.
Johnson County opened the series on Thursday, April 13 at Neosho County, winning the doubleheaders 11-9 and 10-3. The two teams finished the series at JCCC on Sunday, April 16. The Panthers edged JCCC 2-1 in the first game, but JCCC secured the series win with 12-4 triumph in the final game.
In the opener, the Cavaliers rallied for the victory, scoring six runs in the final two innings to pull out the two-run victory.
Designated hitter Dagen Brewer led the offense with five RBI off a two-run homer run and a three-run homer.
First baseman Ryan Callahan got on base five times with a single, double, triple and two walks. He drove in two runs and scored three times. Left fielder Cooper Combs also collected three hits and drove in two runs.
Right-hander Christian Johnson relieved starter Luc Fladda in sixth and earned the victory. Right-hander John Chambers closed out the side in the final inning to earn his fourth save of the year.
In the second game, all nine starters collected at least one hit and six had multiple hits, including three from right fielder Brayden Luikart and Brewer. Luikart also scored two runs and drove in one. Brewer had a single, two doubles, walked twice and drove in a run.
Center fielder Rhett Hendricks drove two with a single and a home run, and shortstop Dylan Hufft had a single and a triple, walked twice and scored three times.
Right-hander Cole Koonce, last week's KJCCC Pitcher of the Week, improved to 9-1 on the season with a victory at Neosho County last week. He struck out 10 batters over his six innings on the bump. It was his second straight multiple strikeout game and third of the season. His nine wins lead the conference, and he ranks seventh in strikeouts (64).
In the first game at JCCC on Sunday, the Cavaliers were held to just four hits, but three were doubles, but only Hufft was able to come around a score on Luikart's double in the third inning.
Left-hander Ty Blecha allowed just three hits, but the Panthers pushed a run across in the first and the fourth to pull out the win. Blecha struck out six batters in his five innings on the hill.
In the final game, Hufft had two hits, including a triple, scored twice and drove in three, and third baseman Jeremy Rader had a single and solo home run. Callahan, Hendricks and catcher Kyle Hepburn all were 2-for-4 with a run driven in. Hendricks and Hepburn each scored twice as well.
Right-hander Gabe Nutter pitched the first five innings to earn the victory. He allowed four runs and struck out six. Right-hander Maddox Burkitt closed the game, allowing just a single with three strikeouts in four innings of relief.