Iola, KS- On Thursday, February 8th the Allen Community College baseball team opened its 2018 season winning 3 out of 4 games against Southwestern Community College in Iowa. The Red Devils split on the day losing game 1 12-2, while coming back from an early deficit and winning game 2 11-9.
Taking the loss in game 1 was Trace Embray (Knoxville, IA). Embray went 1 1/3 innings while surrendering 3 runs all of which were earned. Leading the Red Devil offense was Baxter Mays (Sedalia, Mo). Mays finished the day 2-4 with an RBI. Matt Phipps (Dublin, OH) drove in the lone other run of the day with a solo homerun his first of the year.
In Game 2 the Red Devils were again looking up on the scoreboard as they were put behind early. Tyler Turner (Lowell, AR) and Coleton Crisp (Whitewater, KS) stabilized the game and allowed the offense to get going. Crisp earned the win going 2 innings, while giving up 2 runs and striking out 3. Conner Darnell (Chouteau, OK) earned the save going the final 2 innings not surrendering a run and striking out 3.
The offense was led by Nathan Best (Olathe, KS). Best was 3-4 on the day with a 2 run home run and finished with 3 RBI's. Justus Burke (Bettendorf, IA) also added 2 more hits on the day going 2-3.
On Friday the Red Devils came out firing on all cylinders winning both games by the scores of 11-1 and 9-2 respectively. The Red Devils received solid pitching performances from Reid Browning (Topeka, KS) and Jacob Potter (Victoria, BC). Browning went 3 innings for his first start of the season, only surrendering 1 run on 1 hit and striking out 7. Potter followed that up with 2 solid innings of his own striking out 4 and walking none.
Leading the offense in 1st game on Friday was Justus Burke. Burke was 2-3 with 2 RBI's. Also having hits in the game were Aaron Fagen (Maumelle, AR) and Sky-Lar Culver who both had a hit in the game.
In the final game of the series the Red Devils got another solid start from Hector Abreu (Yabucoa, PR). Abreu went 3 innings giving up no runs on 2 hits and striking out 3. Nate Postlethwait (Valley Center, KS) followed Abreu and threw a 2 2/3 inning of shut out baseball with 4 strike outs.
Matt Phipps and Nathan Best both had multiple hits in the game, and both tallied an RBI. Dylan Price (Victoria, BC) also had a hit.