OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — The No. 1-ranked Johnson County Community College baseball team completed a series sweep of Cowley County Community College over the weekend, winning four games to secure its fourth consecutive conference championship.
The series began Thursday in Arkansas City, but Game 2 was suspended due to inclement weather. Play resumed Saturday before the regularly scheduled doubleheader at JCCC, and the Cavaliers wasted little time finishing off the suspended contest. JCCC erupted offensively in a 16-6 victory, putting the game away with a big middle portion of the lineup and strong relief work to close it out.
The offense continued to roll throughout the game, finishing with 12 hits and five home runs. Briggs Roe delivered a monster performance, going 3-for-5 with three home runs and five RBI to lead the charge. Boston Bruce added a huge day as well, scoring four times while going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.
Logan Groh contributed with a triple and three RBI, while Lukas Wilson drove in two runs. Coonradt finished with two RBI and three runs scored as the Cavaliers' lineup produced up and down the order.
On the mound, Ronin Vicenti earned the win, working 4.2 innings and striking out five. The bullpen settled things down late, with Lance Alexander tossing three scoreless innings to close it out.
Following the completion of the suspended game, the Cavaliers edged Cowley 2-1 in a tightly contested opener of Saturday's twin bill. JCCC pitching limited Cowley to five hits, while a two-run triple proved to be the difference as the Cavaliers held on for the one-run win.
JCCC leaned on pitching and timely hitting to secure a 2-1 victory. Colin Coonradt delivered the difference with a two-RBI triple, while Ashton Nance went the distance on the mound, allowing just one run on five hits to earn the win.
JCCC then closed out the sweep with an 8-5 victory in the series finale. The Cavaliers built early momentum at the plate and used timely hitting throughout the game to maintain control, sealing the sweep and putting an emphatic finish on the weekend.
The Cavaliers struck first in the second inning, plating a run before breaking the game open with a two-run third and a three-run fourth to build a 6-0 advantage. Ryan Bradford powered the offense with a huge day at the plate, going 2-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI, accounting for half of JCCC's scoring output.
Brayden Giesler added a spark near the top of the lineup, finishing 1-for-3 with a triple, an RBI, and two runs scored, while Groh, Coonradt, and Ashton Hartwig each drove in a run to round out the offensive production.
On the mound, Victor Christal was outstanding in his start, tossing five hitless innings while striking out five and working around two walks to earn the win.
Cowley mounted its only serious threat in the sixth inning, scoring five runs to cut the deficit to 6-5. Skyler Branam and Logan Smith each delivered two RBI in the inning, with Smith also connecting on a home run to highlight the rally.
JCCC's bullpen stabilized the game after the sixth, combining to allow just one hit over the final three innings. Braylon Brooks closed the door, recording the final two outs to earn the save.
The Cavaliers added key insurance runs in the eighth inning to push the lead back to three, ultimately sealing the 8-5 victory.
With the three wins, JCCC improved to 50-2 overall and a perfect 28-0 in conference play. The sweep officially locked up the program's fourth straight conference championship.
Saturday's series-clinching win also marked a milestone for head coach Eric Horner, who earned his 300th career victory at Johnson County.
JCCC will close out the regular season next week before turning its attention to postseason play.