Lady Indians win championship – headed back CWS
The McCook Community College softball team is headed back to the NJCAA D1 College World Series again after downing Northeastern Junior College 5-3 to win the Region IX Tournament Sunday at the Jaycees Sports Complex.
MCC completed a three-game sweep to the title beating four-seeded Western Nebraska 4-3 Friday in a walk-off win in the bottom of the seventh inning. On Saturday the Lady Indians beat second-seeded Southeast Community College 6-3 and filling out the bracket Sunday with the 5-3 win over third-seeded NJC.
"This tournament was an absolute battle for us, but we did what we needed to do to win it," said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall.
The Lady Indians also set a new record for combined regular-season and post-season wins with their 52nd (and just seven losses). MCC stretches their winning streak to 14 games and finish the season with a 28-1 record at home. The players saluted the standing-room only crowd following the game. MCC was ranked No. 25 in the final NJCAA D1 top 25 poll. The Lady Indians also won the Region IX regular-season title with a 30-2 record.
"I couldn't be more proud of these ladies," said Mendenhall. "They had great energy and kept their cool through some adversity."
After picking up a save Saturday in the pitching circle against second-seeded Southeast Community College, freshman Hannah Schneider (Alliance, Neb.) got the starting assignment Sunday against the third-seeded Plainswomen and retired the side in order in the first inning.
With two outs in the bottom of the inning MCC got a two-out single by freshman Lyndsay Keogh (Surrey, British Columbia) and a double by Brooklyn Gillen (freshman, McCook) but were unable to push home the first run.
Schneider struck out the first two NJC batters in the second, surrendered a double but induced a groundball to get out of the inning. MCC went out in order in the second. Again, in the third, Schneider retired the first two hitters, gave up a single and got a groundout to end the inning.
Lacyn Keller (freshman, McCook) lined a leadoff double in the home-half of the third, advanced to second on a bunt single by sophomore Paige Warren (Victoria, British Columbia). Warren stole second (her league-leading 47th of the year). Freshman Josie Wright (Calgary, Alberta) put MCC on the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly to centerfield and Warren advanced to third base. Keogh followed with a sacrifice fly to left field to put the Lady Indians ahead 2-0.
The Plainswomen came back in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead on a walk, one-out single, an error and back-to-back walks to tie the game. That brought in Warren to relieve with the bases loaded and the score tied 2-2 with one out. Warren, who was named Region IX Player of the Year Friday, struck out the first hitter she faced, then gave up an infield single which gave NJC the 3-2 lead. Schneider pitched 3.1 innings, allowed one earned run on three hits three walks and four strikeouts.
MCC reclaimed the lead in the fifth, helped out by an error to lead off the inning. Warren singled with the runner Keller advancing to third on the throw in from center field. Wright grounded out to shortstop but tied the game with Keller scoring. A second NJC infield error in the inning gave MCC a 4-3 lead. The Lady Indians had runners on first and second with one out but a lineout to third base turned into a double play to end the threat.
Warren allowed a leadoff single to NJC in the sixth and a two-out single but held the Plainswomen with a strikeout to end the inning.
The Tribe scored an insurance run in the sixth with a leadoff single by Audrey Reeves (Sterling, Colo.) who went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kashlin Beck (Clifton, Kan.). Reeves went to third on an NJC error and scored on a sacrifice fly by Keller to make it a 5-3 game.
Warren stuck out the first hitter in the seventh, induced a popout to shortstop and struck out the final hitter to give MCC its second-straight Region IX Championship.
She picked up the win to improve to a nation's best 28-2. She didn't allow an earned run in 3.2 innings pitched, giving up three hits and a walk while striking out seven.
The Lady Indians out-hit NJC 8-6. Gillen and Warren each had two hits. Wright and Keogh both had two RBIs.
With the win MCC qualifies as one of 20 teams that will compete in the College World Series May 25-30 at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala. Bracket and matchups to be announced on the NJCAA Network on May 19, following region and district tournaments.
Last year, MCC compiled a 51-11 record earning the school's first ever trip to the 2025 College World Series where the team, seeded 16th, won three games over three top 10 ranked teams in the 20-team tournament in Yuma, Ariz. MCC was one of the final eight teams in the tournament.
