Indians snap losing skid with split at Beatrice

BEATRICE – The McCook Community College baseball team snapped its four-game losing streak Thursday winning the first game of a doubleheader against Southeast Community College 7-4 then dropping the second game 7-6.

"It was good to see us get back into playing better," said MCC Coach Jon Olsen. "I'm happy with the Game 1 win, and I thought we had a shot in Game 2 as well just couldn't quite get over the hump."

The Indians trailed 4-1 in the fourth inning of Game 1 but scored four times in the seventh inning to snap Southeast's six game winning streak. Sophomore Dalton Berg (Frederick, Colo.) hit a pair of home runs to lead the offense – his 16th and 17th of the year. Freshman Nolan Jackson (Grimsby, Ontario) picked up the win in a two-inning scoreless relief effort.

In Game 2 the Indians came back from a 2-0 first inning deficit to take a 4-2 lead in the sixth but the Bobcats got a grand slam to take a 7-4 lead and held off a late MCC rally in the ninth inning to win 7-6.

"I feel a lot better after today going into tomorrow and next week than I did after our little four-game slide," said Olsen.

The Indians had just one error on the day after having a shaky defense last weekend against Western Nebraska.
MCC also got a boost from a pair of freshman returning from injuries in Jackson and shortstop Kon Yoshimura (Nagasaki, Japan) who hit a pair of home runs and a double in Game 1.

"We got a couple guys back from injury with Kon and Nolan and they played a big part in the day," said Olsen.

Third-place Southeast goes to 16-10 in the standings (25-23 overall). MCC goes to 18-8 in the region and 39-15 overall.

These two teams will wrap up the regular season with a doubleheader starting at noon Friday. The Indians need to win one of the two games tomorrow to clinch at least second place in the standings and earn a first-round bye in the post-season tournament next week in Pueblo, Colo.

"It will be a big day again tomorrow, we need to come out ready to go," said Olsen.

GAME 1 – McCook CC 7, Southeast CC 4: The Bobcats got a two-out, two-run home run in the second to take a 2-0 lead over the Indians and starting pitcher Tait Anderson (sophomore, Auckland, New Zealand).

Dalton Berg hit a solo home run in the fourth to get the Indians on the scoreboard to pull MCC within 2-1 but Southeast hit a pair of solo home runs in the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead to 4-1.

A Bobcat error to leadoff the fifth opened an extended inning for the Indians. Tyler Reyburn smashed a two-run home run (his third of the year) to cut the deficit to 4-3 and MCC later loaded the bases with a pair of walks and a hit batter, but left three runners on base.

MCC got two runners on in the sixth but left them stranded.

Anderson pitched five innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits, three walks and four strikeouts.

Trailing 4-3 in the seventh, freshman Jakoby Hamer (Edmonton, Alberta) hit a one-out single and Berg followed with a two-run home run to put MCC up 5-4. It was his team-leading 17th of the season (he is third among all Region IX hitters). Freshman Kieren Cutler (Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador) singled after the Berg homer and then with two outs. Southey smashed a two-run home run to put MCC up 7-4. It was Southey's 11th this year.

"I felt like we battled back good in Game 1 to get the win," said Olsen.

Nolan Jackson retired three of the four batters he faced in the seventh to pick up the win in relief. He allowed one single in two innings of work, no runs, no walks and one strikeout. This was his first appearance since April 17 but he improves to 6-1 on the year.

MCC out-hit SCC 11-9. Berg led the way with his two homers and three RBIs. Cutler, Southey and Reyburn both had two-hit games with Southey and Reyburn both driving in two runs each.

GAME 2 – Southeast CC 7, McCook CC 6: Southeast took a 2-0 lead in the first inning off MCC sophomore
Aviv Bobrov (Shekhanya, Israel) on a walk, a double and a two-out single.

Freshman Kon Yoshimura (Nagasaki, Japan) got MCC on the scoreboard with a solo homer leading off the fourth inning (his fifth). Sophomore Connor Charvat (Omaha, Neb.) hit a solo shot in the fifth to tie the game 2-2. It was Charvat's ninth of the season.

Yoshimura also homered to lead off the sixth inning (his sixth). The Indians added to the 3-2 lead with singles by Dalton Berg and two-out singles by sophomores Corbin Lochhead (Vegreville, Alberta) and Hunter Southey (Auckland, New Zealand) to put MCC up 4-2.

The Bobcats got a grand slam home run in the sixth to go up 6-2 sending Bobrov from the mound. He pitched 5.1 innings, allowing seven hits, six earned runs on two walks and six strikeouts. Relief pitcher Tobey Cassino (sophomore, Arvada, Colo.) surrendered a solo homer to the first batter he faced to put SCC ahead 7-4.

"It was a tough day to pitch today and I thought our guys competed, one pitch that they got out for a grand slam in Game 2 proved to be the difference," said Olsen.

Neither team scored in the seventh or eighth innings. Casino pitched the final 2.2 innings allowing just the solo homer with a walk and two strikeouts.

In the MCC ninth, Charvat singled with one out to start an Indian rally. With two outs freshman Owen Weales (Bowmanville, Ontario) doubled home Charvat and Yoshimura doubled home Weales to cut the deficit to 7-6 but MCC left the tying run stranded at second base.

Yoshimura had three of MCC's hits and 11 total bases with four RBIs. Weales and Charvat both had two.