MUSKEGON, Mich. – The defending NJCAA Division II champs took care of business in game one by crushing the visiting Raiders for the third straight time this season. The Jayhawks prevailed, winning 10-2 in six innings, through the 30 mph wind that was blowing in. The wind played a huge factor, keeping a lot of well hit balls inside the park. However, game one ended on the one and only homer of the day, a two run shot over the centerfield fence by third basemen Danielle Basch.
After a two out walk in the 1st inning to Kellen Dewey, a couple pass balls, and a double steal by Dewey and Jessica Kohloff, the Raiders struck first. Basch answered back in the bottom of the inning with a walk and later scoring on a double by Caitlyn Dekker. Dekker found a way to reach base in all seven of her plate appearances of the day.
With the Jayhawks up 2-1 going in the top of the 4th, Jayhawk sophomore Kelsey Bandstra walked Kohloff to start the inning. After three straight bunts, Kohloff crossed the plate and tied the game up. The Raiders would have another one of those innings in the bottom half of the 4th though.
After two quick outs from Raider pitcher Ashley Raap (5-7), the Jayhawks reached base on seven consecutive plate appearances and by the end of the inning, lead 8-2. Only two of those runs scored were earned. The Raiders finished the game with four errors, to the Jayhawks zero.
Bandstra would pick up the win for the #14 ranked Jayhawks (24-13, 13-3) and allowed just two hits, while striking out six and walking four batters. Raap finished the game allowing six earned runs while striking out five and walking five batters. Alison Iuelle and Marlene Packer had the only hits for the Raiders. Kohloff finished 0 for 0 with three walks, a stolen base, and a run.
The Raiders snapped their five game losing streak by winning 5-4 in an exciting and hard fought game two for both teams. It took eight innings and 2 hours and 9 minutes for Kohloff and her defense to finally put away the Jayhawks and go home on a happy note. Kohloff was outstanding in picking up her 2nd win in just four starts this season.
The Jayhawks didn’t have a hit through five innings, but trailed just 3-2 going into the sixth. The Raiders scored all three of their runs thus fare with two outs; one off a single by Alison Iuelle, another off a double steal, and the third off a throwing error by the 3rd baseman. For the Jayhawks, they scored both of their runs in the 1st inning off three Raider errors. GRCC finished with six errors in the game one of which extended the game to extra innings.
The first of two of the biggest hits of the game for freshman Allie Annese added one more run on the board for the Raiders in the top of the 6th inning. Iuelle led off with a single to left and freshman Megan Bridges sacrificed her down to second with the bunt. Annese followed that up with a double that just dropped inside the left field line, scoring Iuelle and making it a 4-2 ball game.
Muskegon responded with their first two hits of the game in the latter of the inning and closed to the gap to 4-3 going into the usually final inning of the game. The Raiders went down in order and left it up to Kohloff and her defense to finish the game.
The #8 batter, Janelle Agren lead off with a single to center and a couple pitches later advanced to second on a passed ball by Adrienne Palmer. Haleigh Burns struck out looking and pinch hitter Meghan Gue flew out to Palmer, leaving it up to pinch hitter Marissa Alverson whose been known to hit the long ball. Well she ended up hitting the long ball, but the right fielder couldn’t hang on to it and the error by Bridges put Alverson on second and the score was tied. When it rains it pours, but just how much?
Basch was the next Jayhawk to advance on an error (this one a fielder error by Kohloff), making it two runners on and the best player of the day for the home team up to bat. The Raiders decided to intentionally walk Dekker and load the bases. Designated player Elizabeth Cudney would fly out to center to end the threat and extra innings it would be.
Kohloff and Iuelle quickly became victims one and two of Katy Burns in the top of the 8th inning and the Raiders would go to their bench. In came freshman Lindsey Schroedterr who hadn’t seen the field all day and she came up with a huge hit to left field to start the rally. Fellow slapper, Annese, followed that up by an even bigger hit than she had in her last at bat. She cranked another double down the left field line that went to the fence, scoring Schroedter and putting her team back up 5-4.
For the second straight inning Kohloff and her defense had a chance to close the door on the national champs, but the Jayhawks didn’t make it easy. Leah Hosking smacked her second straight double to left center to lead the Muskegon rally. The next play might have been the biggest play of the game for the Raiders as they got Hosking trying to advance to third on the batted ball by Lindsey Kelenske. She appeared to be safe at third after a couple miss tags by Dewey and Iuelle, but field umpire Jerry Hoag called her out on the play.
Iuelle finished the game for the Raiders by catching a high pop up in front of the pitcher’s mound and then a liner right at third. The sophomore also went 2 for 4 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored. Dewey finished 3 for 4 with two runs scored and Annese was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI.
Kohloff struck out five while allowing just four hits and one earned run. Burns struck out seven, walked just one, and allowed seven Raider hits in the losing effort.
The Raiders will get the weekend off and won’t see action again until next Tuesday at home against Glen Oaks Community College. GRCC lead off the conference season with two wins again Glen Oaks a few weeks ago.
