KCC softball season starts with tough conference losses

Sophomore Genevieve Baushke makes a catch against KVCC last Thursday.

Sophomore Genevieve Baushke makes a catch against KVCC last Thursday.

The Kellogg Community College softball team has had a rough start to the season, finishing off a six-game stretch of conference play last week with a 1-5 record.

KCC lost two to Kalamazoo Valley Community College on Thursday, March 28, in what were the Bruins’ first home games of the season at Bailey Park in Battle Creek.

Sophomore pitcher Ashley Burritt pitched seven innings and struck out two in game one. Batting leaders for the Bruins included freshman Mackenzie Gibson, who had two hits in three at-bats, including a home run and two RBIs; sophomore Mackenzie Kendall, who had two hits in three at-bats, including a double, and stole two bases; and freshman Taylor Lewis, who had one hit in three at-bats with two RBIs. Sophomore Michaela Marble also hit one in three at-bats.

In game two (0-8) Marble hit one-for-two and stole one base.

Click here to view a photo gallery of images from game one of the Bruins’ double header against KVCC on KCC’s Facebook page.

The Bruins split games with Ancilla College in an away double header on Friday, March 29.

In the first game — a 4-8 loss — Burritt pitched five innings and struck out one. Kendall hit two in four at-bats, including a double and two RBIs; Gibson hit one-for-four with two RBIs; and Lewis hit a double in two at-bats.

In the game-two win (7-6) for the Bruins, freshman Erika Olsen pitched four and two-thirds innings, with freshman Michelle Kenealy pitching two and a third for the win. Sophomore Tiffani Allwardt hit a home run on her sole visit to the plate, racking up two RBIs in the process; Marble hit three-for-four including a triple and an RBI; and Lewis and sophomore Genevieve Baushke each hit one-for-three with an RBI apiece. Freshman Kaitlyn Devries hit one-for-four and also had an RBI.

The results of the games above — along with two losses to Lansing Community College on Saturday, March 30 (0-4 and 1-5) — put the Bruins in sixth place out of nine teams in their Michigan Community College Athletic Association Conference so far. The team plays next beginning at 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, in a double header against Lake Michigan College at home at Bailey Park in Battle Creek.

Click here to view the softball team’s spring schedule in a post on this blog. For more information about the softball program at Kellogg Community College, visit www.kellogg.edu/athletics/softball/index.html.