OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Johnson County softball program moved up four sports in the current NJCAA D-II Rankings to No. 13 in the country. Murray State remains at No. 1 with a mark of 50-0.
The Lady Cavaliers are the highest ranked team in the D-II Kansas Jayhawk Conference, three spots ahead of Cowley. Johnson County is tied for first in the conference race with the Tigers. They stand 19-1 in conference play with one series left at home against Kansas City Kansas. Cowley is 17-1 and has two remaining conference series left, on the road against Neosho County and at home against Labette.
JCCC swept Coffeyville on Monday, winning 15-2 in five innings and 7-0 to run their overall record to 30-6.
In the opener, third baseman Riahn Pinkerton drove in three runs highlighted by a two-run homer run in the top of the fifth inning. It was her first of her collegiate career.
Left fielder Lauren Roberts also drove in three runs with two singles, and first baseman Kate Ediger was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
Right-hander Jordan Harrison, who just earn her fifth KJCCC D-II Pitcher of the Week honor on Tuesday, improved to 18-2 on the season. She allowed two runs, one earned, with eight strikeouts over four innings. Right-hander Deja Gardenhire logged the final inning, striking out one of the three batters she faced.
In the second game, right fielder Taryn Burkhardt went 4-for-4 with a double, home runs, two runs and three driven in. Her homer was inside-the-park with a runner on in the fifth. Her double came an inning later to drive in a run. She also had an RBI single earlier in the game.
Ediger also had two singles and two RBI, and shortstop Toree Hoobler collected an RBI double.
Catcher Gaige Pinkerton, the team's leading hitter at .568, extended her season-long hitting streak to 19 games with a pair of singles in each game. Her streak currently is tied for the 10th-longest in team history.
Right-hander Maggie McNally was impressive in the circle, allowing just two hits while strikeout out six in her six innings of work. With the victory, she upped her season record to 12-3. Gardenhire again pitched a perfect final inning and struck out a batter.