MCC Softball eliminates Reivers in CWS

OXFORD, Ala. – The McCook Community College softball team got back in the win column Tuesday with a 7-4 win over No. 15 Iowa Western Community College in the elimination round of the National Junior College Athletic Association D1 College World Series. No. 25 MCC will take on No. 10 McLennan (Texas) in an elimination game 11:15 a.m. Wednesday.

"It was a good team-win overall," said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall.

After rain delayed the start of the game by about an hour from the original starting time, MCC came out with a first-inning run when sophomore Paige Warren (Victoria, British Columbia) ripped a single to center field, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Josie Wright (Calgary, Alberta) and went to third on a groundout by freshman Lyndsay Keogh (Surrey, British Columbia). Freshman Brooklynn Gillen drew a walk and four pitches later Warren stole home on the back-half of a double steal to the Lady Indians their first run of this year's tournament to take a 1-0 lead.

"These ladies were ready to go today and the nerves were gone," said Mendenhall. "We were much better in every phase of the game tonight and that allowed us to play our game."

The Reivers evened the score in the home-half of the first with a pair of leadoff singles and an MCC error.

Again in the MCC third inning, the top of the batting order set the table and the middle of the order had efficient at bats with Warren drawing a leadoff walk and Wright lining a single down the first-base line to send Warren to third while Wright took second on the throw in from right field. Keough drove in Warren on an RBI-groundout and Gillen drove in Wright on an RBI-groundout to put MCC up 3-1.

With two outs and Reiver runners at first and second base, MCC left-fielder Lacyn Keller made the defensive play of the game with a diving grab of a line drive to retire the side and keep Iowa Western down by two runs.

In the top of the sixth inning, Gillen was hit by a pitch with one out and scored on an RBI-double by sophomore Marleigh Mitchell (Mission, British Columbia) to give the Lady Indians a 4-1 lead. The double was MCC's first extra-base hit of this year's College World Series.

IWCC got a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth and pulled a run closer with an RBI-double to make it a 4-2 MCC lead.

In the MCC seventh, freshman pinch-hitter Ellie Baca (Greeley, Colo.) poked a single to left field and freshman Lacyn Keller (McCook) followed with a single of her own to right fielder and the right fielder made an error to move runners up to second and third. With two outs, Wright hit a grounder to second and another Reiver error allowed both runners to score. After Keough and Gillen drew walks to load the bases, Mitchell drew a bases-loaded walk to put MCC ahead 7-2.

MCC's eight, nine, one and two hitters in the lineup (Baca, Keller, Warren and Wright) scored six of MCC's seven runs and had give of MCC's six hits. Gillen, Wright and Warren also had stolen bases.

The Iowa team put back-to-back runners on base to lead off the bottom of the seventh on singles and walk to send Warren out of the pitching circle with freshman Hannah Schneider (Alliance, Neb.) entering the game. After getting an 0-2 count to the first hitter, Iowa Western got a two-run single to cut the gap to 7-4. Schneider retired the next three hitters on a groundout to Gillen at shortstop and back-to-back strikeouts to extend the team's record to 53-8 and more importantly, move extend their tournament life another day in what was a 20-team, double-elimination tournament.

With the loss Iowa Western was one of four teams eliminated Tuesday, joining Wabash Valley, San Jacinto (the team that beat MCC Monday 7-0) and Dodge City.

Iowa Western finishes the season 50-8. The were the No. 5 team in the nation in offense and had opened play Monday with a 3-0 win over No. 18 Arizona Western then dropped the 1:30 game against No. 2 Northwest Florida State 4-1.

Warren was credited with the win improving to 29-3 in the circle. She pitched six innings, allowed seven hits, four walks, four earned runs and three strikeouts. Schneider allowed one hit, no earned runs or walks with two strikeouts.

In other games Tuesday, No. 7 Paris JC downed No. 10 McLennan 3-2 in the first of two first-round games postponed from Monday. No. 4 Odessa was a 4-2 winner over No. 11 Santa Fe College in the other first-round game. Second round play started with No. 4 Temple College a 4-3 winner over No. 13 College of Southern Idaho, No. 1 Florida SouthWestern bounced MCC's first-round opponent San Jacinto to the consolation bracket with a 2-1 win and No. 3 Northeastern Alabama topped Gaston College 8-0.

In elimination games Tuesday, College of Southern Valley knocked out Wabash Valley 8-3, Arizona Western ousted San Jacinto 10-1 and Gaston College was a 7-6 winner over Dodge City.

MCC's Tuesday win sets up a game with No. 10 McLennan (Texas). Last year the Lady Indians began their run of three-straight wins in the elimination bracket over top 11-ranked teams including an 11-6 win to eliminate the 2024 National Champion who were ranked second.

An MCC win in the 11:15 Wednesday game against McLennan would set the stage for a second elimination game Wednesday at 6 p.m. against the loser of the Eastern Florida State/Florida State/Florida SouthWestern game.

2026 NJCAA D-1 COLLEGE WORLD SERIESOxford, Alabama Choccolocco Park
Monday, May 25
Game 1 – No. 17 San Jacinto 7, No. 16 McCook 0
Game 2 – No. 13 Southern Idaho 4, No. 20 Dodge City 3
Game 3 – No. 14 Gaston College 3, No. 19 Wabash Valley 1
Game 4 – No. 15 Iowa Western 3, No. 18 Arizona Western 0
Game 5 – No. 9 Eastern Florida State 2, No. 8 Trinity Valley 1
Game 6 – No. 5 Seminole State 5, No. 12 Volunteer State 4
Game 7 – No. 7 Paris JC vs. No. 10 McLennan, Championship Field, postponed to Tuesday
Game 8 – No. 6 Odessa vs. No. 11 Santa Fe, postponed to Tuesday

Tuesday, May 26
Game 7 – No. 7 Paris JC 3, No. 10 McLennan 2
Game 8 – No. 6 Odessa 4 No. 11 Santa Fe College 2
Game 9 – No. 4 Temple 4, College of Southern Idaho 3
Game 10 – No. 1 Florida SouthWestern 2, San Jacinto 1
Game 11 – No. 2 Northwest Florida State 4, Iowa Western 1
Game 12 – No. 3 Northeastern Alabama 8 Gaston College 0
Game 13 – College of Southern Idaho 8, 8, Wabash Valley 3 (Wabash Valley eliminated)
Game 14 – Arizona Western 10, San Jacinto 1 (San Jacinto eliminated)
Game 15 – McCook 7, Iowa Western 4 (Iowa Western eliminated)
Game 16 – Gaston College 7, Dodge City 6 (Dodge City eliminated)

Wednesday, May 27
Game 17 – College of Southern Idaho vs. Trinity Valley, 9 a.m.
Game 18 – Arizona Western vs. Volunteer State, 9 a.m.
Game 19 – McCook vs. McLennan, 11:15 a.m.
Game 20 – Gaston College vs. Santa Fe College, 11:15 a.m.
Game 21 – Eastern Florida State vs. Florida SouthWestern, 1:15 p.m.
Game 22 – Seminole State vs. Temple College, 1:15 p.m.
Game 23 – Odessa vs. Northeast Alabama, 3:45 p.m.
Game 24 – Paris JC vs. Northwest Florida State, 3:45 p.m.
Game 25 – Winner of the MCC/McLennan game vs. loser of the Eastern Florida State/Florida SouthWestern game, 6 p.m.
Game 26 – Winner of Game 20 vs. loser of Game 22, 6 p.m.
Game 27 – Winner of Game 17 vs. loser of Game 23, 8:15 p.m.
Game 28 – Winner of Game 18 vs. loser of Game 24, 8:15 p.m.

Thursday, May 28
Game 29 - W25 vs. W26, 9 a.m.
Game 30 - W27 vs. W28, 11:15 a.m.
Game 31 - W21 vs. W22, 1:30 p.m.
Game 32 - W23 vs. W24, 3:45 p.m.
Game 33 - W29 vs. L31, 6 p.m.
Game 34 - W30 vs. L32, 8:15 p.m.