Lady Indians sweep Plainswomen in Sunday softball

The McCook Community College softball team swept a doubleheader from Northeastern Junior College Sunday winning 14-5 in six innings and 16-1 in five innings. The No. 25 Lady Indians improve to 11-1, atop the Region IX standings and 26-4 overall.

“It was a lot better day offensively for us,” said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall. “I think we hit .600 on the day and played a lot better overall.”

Sophomore Paige Warren (Victoria, British Columbia) struck out 12 batters and allowed three earned runs as the Lady Indians churned out multiple runs in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Freshman Lacyn Keller (McCook) delivered a critical three-run double and freshman Hayley Smith (Chestermere, Alberta) and sophomore Kashlin Beck (Claflin, Kan.), combined for six hits and three RBIs.

Leading 5-0 in the fourth inning of Game 2, the Lady Indians scored 11 times to put away the game in five innings. Smith had four more hits in the game including a home run to give her seven hits on the day. Beck and freshman Lyndsay Keogh (Surrey, British Columbia) both homered in each game of the doubleheader and they each had five hits Sunday. Beck drove in five runs and Keogh six.

NJC falls to 4-4 in the Region IX standings and 13-13 overall.

MCC improves to 11-1, atop the standings and 26-4 overall. After splitting the first two games of the series Friday in Sterling, Colo., the Lady Indians take the series 3-1.

“It was a good series win for us,” said Mendenhall. 

The Lady Indians will return home Friday for a doubleheader against Western Nebraska Community College. Those games will start at 2 p.m. and then the two teams will travel to Scottsbluff March 29 to complete the series.

GAME 1 – McCook CC 14, Northeastern JC 5 (6 innings): Paige Warren doubled to lead off the bottom of the first and  freshman Josie Wright (Calgary, Alberta) singled to set up a three-run inning with RBI-groundouts by Lyndsay Keogh, Brooklyn Gillen (freshman, McCook), and an RBI-single by Audrey Reeves (Sterling, Colo.).

NJC got a two-out walk, and MCC error and a two-run single to cut the MCC lead to 3-2 in the third inning.

The Lady Indians reclaimed their three-run lead in the bottom of the third with back-to-back singles by Keogh and Gillen, a two-run double by Hayley Smith and took a 5-2 lead on a double-play ball.

Lacyn Keller (freshman, McCook) and Warren both singled to lead off the fourth and Keller scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Wright. Keogh made it 7-2 with an RBI-groundout.

The Plainswomen offense struck back with a leadoff walk in the fifth, a two-run homer and a triple and a sacrifice bunt to close the MCC lead to 7-5.

MCC pushed across three runs in the fifth on singles by Smith and Kashlin Beck, and a bases-loaded three-run RBI-double from Keller to put the Lady Indians ahead 10-5.

Keogh crushed a solo home run to lead off the sixth. Gillen doubled, Reeves singled in Gillen and Beck hit an opposite-field home run to left field to score two runs and end the game on the eight-run rule.

Warren earned the win for MCC, to improve to 10-2. She allowed five hits and three earned runs in six innings, walking three and striking out 12.

Smith and Beck led MCC’s offense with three hits each. Keogh and Keller led the Lady Indians with three RBIs each.

GAME 2 – McCook CC 16, Northeastern JC 1 (5 innings): Lyndsay Keogh blasted a solo home run in the first to give MCC a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Marleigh Mitchell (Mission, British Columbia) singled in the second and Josie Wright delivered a bases-loaded, two-run RBI-single and Keogh followed with an RBI-single to put the Lady Indians in front 5-0.

With two outs in the fourth inning, 13 straight batters reached base on one walk, seven singles, two doubles, a triple and a pair of home runs. The inning was highlighted by a three-run home run by Kashlin Beck, a two-run single by Paige Warren, a triple by Wright, a double by Keogh and a two-run home run by Hayley Smith.

Freshman Hannah Schneider (Alliance, Neb.) pitched four scoreless innings, allowing two hits, no walks and she struck out five. Sophomore Olivia Moorhead (Hershey, Neb.) pitched the fifth inning allowing one earned run on one walk, one hit and two strikeouts.

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