The third-ranked Cougars rode the pitching of senior Kaylin Kinney and junior Jayme Scheck to a doubleheader sweep against West High.

Kinney allowed just four hits and had 10 strikeouts as Kennedy won the first game 10-0, while Scheck surrendered just one hit and had 13 strikeouts during a 10-0 victory in the second game.

The doubleheader was part of an annual tradition in which West High raises awareness about cancer research. Both teams word t-shirts during Thursday’s doubleheader that said “Stronger than Cancer.”

“In a normal year, we’d have people taking donations and lots of other game activities,” said West High Athletic Director Craig Huegel. “But this is not a normal year.”

Huegel was referring to the COVID-19 pandemic that has significantly altered the way games are being played this summer.

Many high schools, including West High, are practicing social distancing in hopes of making it through the shortened season without an interruption.

Kennedy improved to 17-1 on the season, with its only loss coming against City High, while West High fell to 7-11 on the season.

Kennedy combined for 25 hits in the two games, including a solo home run by Kinney in the first game. The Nebraska recruit relied mostly on her overpowering fastball to stymie the West High batters.

Kennedy also excelled on defense where it committed no errors in either game.

The Cougars scored six runs in the top of the first inning of the second game.

West High senior Kiahna Hill came in as a relief pitcher with no outs in the first inning, and with her team already trailing 5-0. She then pitched back-to-back scoreless innings and didn’t allow more than two runs in any inning for the rest of the game.

Game 1 

CR Kennedy   030  032  1  – 10 14  0

West High      000  000 0  –  0   4   1

Kaylin Kinney and Abby Spore; Eva Burbidge and Rylee Goodfellow.

2B – CRK: Addie Parker, Addy Alber, Mary Krystofiak, Keaton Gerber

3B – CRK: Alyssa Martin

HR – CRK: Kaylin Kinney

Game 2 

CR Kennedy   600  120   1  –  10  11  0

West High       000  000 0  –  0     1  2

Tamiah Teran, Kiahna Hill (1) and Goodfellow, Ava Davis (5).

HR – CRK: Abby Spore.