Ellsworth Softball Drops Two in KC

KANSAS CITY, KANSAS -- The Ellsworth softball team returned to the diamond Sunday and suffered a couple of tough losses to a ranked Kansas City Kansas CC squad.  ECC pitchers walked 15 batters in the opener and KCKCC used an 8-run inning to turn the game around on the way to a 13-8 victory.  The hosts then came from behind with single runs in the final two innings to pull out the nightcap, 5-4.

The control problems in game one were huge as 13 hits and 8 runs couldn't get the Panthers a win.  Three of the Panthers' hits came from Nevaeh Dice, and Allyson Sparks, Maggie Braniff, Alejandra Rodriguez and Meghan Danielson each had two.  Grace Gordon and Lauren Brennan had the other hits.  Danielson slammed ECC's first home run of the spring and also doubled while driving in 3 runs.  Dice, likewise, had 3 RBIs.  Sparks and Braniff scored 2 runs apiece.  Delaney Vetter pitched into the 5th inning for Ellsworth and issued 10 walks, but only 3 earned runs.  Abbigail Harding took over and allowed the go-ahead run to the Blue Devils.  Jocelyn Hartley got the last 4 outs.  After falling behind 4-0 after 2 innings, the Panthers used a 4-spot in the 3rd to tie the score.  ECC plated a pair of runs in the top of the 5th to go on top, 6-5, but KCK tallied 8 runs in the decisive bottom of the 5th.

The Panthers led 3-0 after 3 1/2 innings in the second contest, using a 3-run 3rd to grab the advantage.  After KCKCC tied the score with 3 in the 4th, ECC regained the lead with a run in the 5th.  However, the Blue Devils tallied single runs in the 6th and 7th to rally for the 1-run win.  The big hits for Ellsworth were a 2-run double by Sparks and Gintare Paskocimaite's triple.  There were also hits from Gordon, Brennan, Rodriguez, Dice and Bre Howard.  Brennan and Rodriguez provided RBIs.  Brennan took the loss in the circle, but gave the ECC staff a complete game and nearly perfect control after the first-game problems.  She walked only one and struck out 3.

Ellsworth is right back in action Monday afternoon in a doubleheader against Metropolitan CC in Kansas City, Missouri.