Lady Indians set all-time win mark in sweep
The McCook Community College softball team won their 46th and 47 wins of the regular season Saturday to set a program record. MCC downed Otero College on Sophomore Day 3-0 and 10-3.
The 2026 Lady Indians pass the record set last year by the squad that won 45 games in the regular season, won three more on the way to the Region IX Tournament, and three more in the NJCAA D1 College World Series to finish with an overall record of 51-11.
On Saturday, MCC recognized eight sophomores before the game including: Audrey Reeves (Sterling, Colo.); Peytann Weiland (Aurora, Colo.); Marleigh Mitchell (Mission, British Columbia); Olivia Moorhead (Hershey, Neb.); Olivia Pollon (Tisdale, Saskatchewan); Kashlin Beck (Claflin, Kan.); Paige Warren (Victoria, British Columbia); and Tatum Ross (Frederick, Colo.).
“It’s amazing what these ladies have accomplished this year,” said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall. “They continue showing up each day and leaving it out on the field.”
Warren pitched a one-hit shutout in Game 1 to improve to 23-2 on the year and hit a homer in Game 2 as the Lady Indians scored four runs in the second and five in the third to down Otero by the eight-run rule.
“It was a good day for us,” said Mendenhall. “We had good at bats in both games, we just couldn’t get anything to fall early in the first one.”
Otero falls to 5-23 in the region standings and will not be one of the top six teams competing next week in the Region IX Tournament in McCook. The Rattlers fall to 6-40 overall.
MCC goes to 28-2 to top the Region IX standings and go to 47-7 overall. The Lady Indians will be the top seed when the tournament starts Thursday at the Jaycees Sports Complex.
Otero and MCC will wrap up the regular season Sunday with doubleheader starting at 11 a.m.
GAME 1 – McCook CC 3, Otero 0: The Lady Indians got a run in the second on an Otero error to lead off the inning, a stolen base by Audrey Reeves and an RBI-single by Hayley Smith (freshman, Chestermere, Alberta).
The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the sixth inning. Freshman Lyndsay Keogh (Surrey, British Columbia) led off with a single. Pinch runner Malia Hilker (freshman, McCook) stole second and advanced to third on a single by Marleigh Mitchell. Reeves walked to load the bases with one out for Kashlin Beck who singled in two runs to put MCC up 3-0.
After one out in the seventh, Warren gave up her only hit of the game (a double) but came back to strike out the final two hitters of the game to pick up er 23rd win of the season. She walked two batters and struck out 13.
MCC had seven hits in the game with Smith the only player with two hits.
GAME 2 – McCook CC 10, Otero 3: Paige Warren hit a home run to lead off the home-half of the first inning. Powering out her 10th of the year.
After Marleigh Mitchell reached on an error to lead off the second, the next two MCC hitters were retired but the Indians were able to score four runs. Freshman Ellie Baca (Greeley, Colo.) singled Mitchell to second and Malia Hilker (freshman, McCook) lined a single to drive in the first run of the inning. Warren walked and freshman Josie Wright (Calgary, Alberta) singled to centerfield driving in two more runs and the Lady Indians took a 5-0 lead when freshman Brooklyn Gillen (McCook) walked with the bases loaded.
Audrey Reeves walked to lead off the third and Kashlin Beck homered to right field to put MCC ahead 7-0. It was Beck’s team-leading 15th of the season. Baca started a second scoring rally in the frame with a single and Warren singled her in with one out, Wright’s RBI-double put MCC up 9-0 and Keough singled in Wright to give the Lady Indians a 10-0 lead.
After keeping Otero off the scoreboard and hitless for the first three innings, starting pitcher Hannah Schneider (freshman, Alliance, Neb.) surrendered a leadoff double and was relieved by Olivia Moorhead with a 10-run lead. The Rattlers scored twice in the inning to make it a 10-2 game. Schneider was charged with one run and one hit in her three innings of work. She walked none and struck out four and would be credited with the win in the circle to improve to 15-3 on the season.
Otero came back to score an unearned run in the fifth to make it a 10-3 game but MCC scored a run with two outs which began with a Rattler error and ended on an RBI-single by Marleigh Mitchell to end the game on the eight-run rule.
Moorehead pitched the final two innings, allowing four hits, one walk, one earned run and one strikeout.
MCC had 11 hits in the game led by two each by Baca, Warren and Wright.
Up-to-date information about MCC softball including up-to-date schedule and changes, livestream links for home games, rosters, photos, statistics and more can be found on the MCC Athletics website, www.mccindians.com