Lady Indians split doubleheader in New Mexico
LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The McCook Community College softball team split a pair of games against Luna Community College Saturday, losing the first game 6-5 and winning the second game 8-1.
Luna scored four runs in their final at bat to take Game 1 as MCC left the tying run on second base.
“We had opportunities to win the first game but Luna just kept scrapping back and found a way to win,” said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall.
In Game 2, the Lady Indians extended a 2-1 lead with one run in the fifth, and two runs in the sixth and seventh innings to salvage the doubleheader split. Freshman Lyndsay Keogh (Surrey, British Columbia) drove in five runs on four hits and sophomore Paige Warren (Victoria, British Columbia) earned the win – her 20th of the season – in the pitching circle.
“Paige was locked in and we had some clutch hits. We just need to get better at scoring in the middle innings,” said Mendenhall. “We had a lot of runners on base and couldn’t get them in.”
The No. 24 Lady Indians go to 39-7 and 20-2 in the Region IX standings.
Luna goes to 19-27 overall and 12-10 in Region IX.
The two teams will play two more games Sunday.
“We will be ready tomorrow,” said Mendenhall.
GAME 1 – Luna CC 6, McCook CC 5: After Luna scored a run in the second on three singles and a bases-loaded walk, MCC responded with two runs in the third inning. Freshman Hallie Schneider (Alliance, Neb.) led off with a single and tied the game on a triple by freshman Josie Wright (Calgary, Alberta). Wright made it 2-0 on an RBI-groundout by Brooklyn Gillen (freshman, McCook).
The Roughriders tied the game in the fourth on a leadoff double and an RBI-single. MCC came back in the fifth with a double by Gillen and a two-run home run from freshman Lyndsay Keogh (Surrey, British Columbia) to go up 4-2. It was Keogh’s team-leading 12 homer of the season.
The Lady Indians added to the lead in the sixth with a one-out single by Hayley Smith (freshman, Chestermere, Alberta) a pinch-hit single by Ellie Baca (freshman, Greeley, Colo.) and a two-out single by Lacyn Keller (freshman, McCook) to put MCC ahead 5-2.
Freshman Hannah Schneider (Alliance, Neb.) pitched the first 4.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits, three walks and three strikeouts. Hallie Schneider came on in relief to record the final out of the fifth inning.
Luna got four-straight hits in the sixth, tied the game on a groundout and scored what would be the game-winner on a one-out RBI single to lead 6-5.
MCC put the tying run on second base in the seventh with two outs but couldn’t score. The Lady Indians had 10 hits in the game with two each by Wright and sophomore Marleigh Mitchell (Mission, British Columbia).
Hallie Schneider was charged with four runs in her 1.1 innings of relief, allowing six hits and striking out one.
GAME 2 – McCook CC 8, Luna CC 1: Paige Warren led off the game with a double and scored on Josie Wright’s RBI-single. After Wright stole second, she scored on Lyndsay Keogh’s RBI-single. Wright and Keogh doubled back-to-back in the third to take a 3-0 lead.
Luna scored its lone run in the fourth with a leadoff single and later an RBI-double – their only hits of the game.
Keogh extended the 3-1 lead with a leadoff home run in the fifth inning. It was her 13th home run.
Hallie Schneider walked to lead off the MCC sixth, Warren doubled and both runners scored on a two-out double by Keogh. Marleigh Mitchell drew a lead-off walk in the seventh, Ella Baca singled and Mitchell scored on an RBI-groundout by Hallie Schneider. Lacyn Keller doubled home Baca for the final MCC run.
Warren picked up the complete-game win in the pitching circle to improve to 20-2. It was her 16th complete game. She allowed two hits, no walks and struck out 12.
MCC had 12 hits in the game with four by Keogh along with five RBIs and nine total bases. Keller, Warren and Wright all had two-hit games.
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