MCC Softball polishes off 49-win regular season
The McCook Community College softball team wrapped up the regular season Sunday adding two more wins to a record-setting season. The Lady Indians downed Otero 21-2 in five innings and 6-3 in seven innings to establish a program-record 49 regular season wins.
“It was nice to finish the season off with a sweep,” said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall. “We did a good job today both offensively and defensively.”
MCC completes the Region IX slate with a 30-2 record, claiming the regular-season championship and giving the Lady Indians the top seed and a first-round bye as well as earning the right to host the double-elimination post-season tournament, which begins Thursday at the Jaycees Sports Complex where the team went 25-1 this year. The team also finishes the regular season with an 11-game winning streak.
The Lady Indians sent 22 batters to the plate in the first inning of Game 1 Sunday and scored 16 runs as sophomore Paige Warren (Victoria, British Columbia) picked up the win in the pitching circle. Sophomore
Kashlin Beck (Claflin, Kan.) and freshman Hallie Schneider (Alliance, Neb.) both homered and drove in four runs each as MCC had 17 hits in the game shortened by the eight-run rule.
MCC had just three hits in Game 2 but made them count with Beck and freshman Lyndsay Keogh (Surrey, British Columbia) each homering to account for five of the six runs and McCook freshman Gillen tripled to score the other run as freshman Hannah Schneider (Alliance, Neb.) scattered 10 hits over seven innings to improve to 16-3.
“There are a few things we need to clean up before we host the tournament,” said Mendenhall. “We will be locked in and ready to go.”
Pairings and game times for the tournament will be announced at a coach’s meeting Monday. In addition to McCook, the six-team tournament will include Southeast Community College, Northeastern Junior College, Lamar, Luna Community College and Western Nebraska.
Otero finishes the season 5-27 in the region standings and 6-44 overall. The Rattlers will not be one of the top six teams in the Region IX Tournament. Trinidad State and North Platte also did not qualify for the tournament.
GAME 1 – McCook CC 21, Otero 2 (5 innings): After Otero started the game with three straight singles and a walk, starting pitcher Paige Warren retired the next three hitters to limit the Rattlers to two runs.
MCC sent 22 hitters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning and scored 16 runs on 12 hits, five walks and an Otero error to take a 16-2 lead. Four players had two hits in the inning including a pair of singles by Josie Wright (freshman, Calgary, Alberta), a triple and a double by sophomore Audrey Reeves (Sterling, Colo.), a single and a home run (her 16th) by Kashlin Beck and a single and double from freshman Lacyn Keller (McCook).
The Lady Indians added a run in the second on a leadoff double by sophomore Marleigh Mitchell (Mission, British Columbia) and a pinch-hit triple by Hallie Schneider.
Warren pitched the first three innings for MCC and allowed the three singles and a walk to start off the game then held Otero off the scoreboard the remainder of the game, striking out four to improve to 24-2 on the year.
Hallie Schneider hit a three-run homer in the third to put MCC ahead 20-1. It was her second home run of the season. MCC added a run on a single by freshman Malia Hilker (McCook), an error and an RBI-double by sophomore Olivia Moorhead (Hershey, Neb.) for the final run.
Moorhead pitched the final two innings of scoreless relief for MCC, allowing one hit, one walk and she struck out two.
MCC had 17 hits in the game with two each by Wright, Mitchell, Reeves, Hallie Schneider, Beck and Keller. Mitchell scored four times for the Lady Indians with Beck and Hallie Schneider each driving in four runs.
GAME 2 – McCook CC 6, Otero 3 (7 innings): The Rattlers scored after two outs in the second inning on a double and a single to lead 1-0.
With two outs in the bottom of the second, Kashlin Beck hit a two-run home run to put MCC up 2-1. It was her 17th of the season, to lead the team.
Lyndsay Keogh smashed a three-run home run in the third inning. It was her 15th of the year. Brooklyn Gillen followed with a triple and scored on an RBI-groundout with Audrey Reeves hitting to give the Lady Indians a 6-1 advantage.
Otero struck for three straight hits to lead off the sixth to make it a 6-2 game and later pushed another run home on an infield groundout.
After the Rattlers put the first two hitters on base to lead off the seventh inning, freshman starting pitcher Hannah Schneider (Alliance, Neb.) finished strong with a strikeout and a game-ending doubleplay. She improved to 16-3 in the circle this year surrendering 10 hits and three earned runs with one walk and six strikeouts.
MCC had just three hits in the game with the homers from Beck and Keogh and the triple by Gillen.
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