MCC Softball wins Region IX title with sweep over N.P.

The McCook Community College softball team wrapped up the Region IX regular season championship Thursday with a doubleheader sweep over North Platte Community College. MCC won 11-0 and 12-3, both games decided by the eight-run rule in five innings.

"Getting these games has been challenging with the weather, but I'm glad we were able to," said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall. "I appreciate north Platte being flexible as well."

The games had been postponed twice before getting Thursday's games in.

In Game 1 Brooklyn Gillen (freshman, McCook) hit a first-inning grand slam and the Lady Indians never trailed. Sophomores Paige Warren (Victoria, British Columbia) and Olivia Moorhead (Hershey, Neb.) combined in the circle to toss a one-hit shutout with no walks and seven strikeouts.

Trailing 2-1 in the second inning of Game 2, MCC scored nine runs on nine hits, as freshman Hannah Schneider (Alliance, Neb.) and Moorhead held North Platte bats to three hits and one earned run.

"It was a good day," said Mendenhall. "We got a lot of girls in, and they did a very nice job."

MCC improves to 26-2 in the Region IX standings to clinch the regular season title. In addition, the 45-7 Lady Indians win the right to host next week's Region IX Tournament as the top seed in the six-team, double-elimination tournament at the Jaycees Sports Complex. That tournament will start Thursday.

With 45 regular season wins, the Lady Indians also tie the team record for regular season wins with four games left. MCC will finish the schedule Saturday and Sunday at home against eighth-place Otero (5-21, 6-38). Sophomore day will be Saturday prior to the 1 p.m. start. Sunday's games start at 11 a.m.

North Platte goes to 1-27 in region play and 3-35 overall.

GAME 1 – McCook CC 11, North Platte 0 (5 innings): Brooklyn Gillen hit a grand-slam home run in the first inning to give the Lady Indians the lead for good. It was her second homer of the season, with the other coming Friday in North Platte. MCC added two more runs in the inning on a single by sophomore by Marleigh Mitchell (Mission, British Columbia), a double by sophomore Audrey Reeves (Sterling, Colo.), a sacrifice fly by Hayley Smith (freshman, Chestermere, Alberta) to make it 5-0, and a two-out RBI-double by freshman Lacyn Keller (McCook) to give MCC a 6-0 lead.

Freshman Josie Wright (Calgary, Alberta) singled to lead off the second inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Gillen. In the third inning, Keller lined a two-out RBI triple and scored on an error to put the Lady Indians on top 9-0.

Warren pitched the first three innings and was credited with the win in the circle to improve to 23-2 on the year. She allowed one hit, no walks and struck out five. She is second in the nation with her 22 pitching wins -- one behind the leader.

A North Platte error, a walk and a sacrifice fly by Kashlin Beck (Claflin, Kan.) brought home a run in the fourth and another run scored on the throw to make it an 11-0 game.

Olivia Moorhead pitched the final two innings of scoreless relief, allowing no hits or walks and striking out two.

Keller and Wright both had two-hit games, Gillen had five RBIs.

GAME 2 – McCook CC 12, North Platte 3 (5 innings): The Knights took a 2-0 lead with a pair of unearned runs in the first inning.

Paige Warren doubled to lead off the home-half of the first inning and came home on an RBI-single by Lyndsay Keogh (freshman, Surrey, British Columbia) to make it a 2-1 North Platte lead.

MCC sent 13 hitters to the plate in a nine-run second inning. Freshman Paige Leggett (Calgary, Alberta) doubled to lead off the inning. Keough doubled in a pair of runs to make it a 4-2 MCC lead. Freshman Hallie Schneider (Alliance, Neb.) singled in two runs and freshman Ellie Baca (Greeley, Colo.) singled in two more to put MCC up 8-2. After a second double by Leggett in the inning, sophomore Olivia Pollon (Tisdale, Saskatchewan) drove in a run on a fielder's choice and Warren tripled in a run to put the Lady Indians ahead 10-2.

In the third inning, after a Knight error and an out, Hallie Schneider drove in a run to make it an 11-2 game and Baca singled in Schneider for a 12-2 lead.

Freshman Hannah Schneider (Alliance, Neb.) pitched the first three innings and allowed two unearned runs on two hits, two walks and four strikeouts. She improves to 14-3.

Olivia Moorhead pitched the final two frames, allowing one run on one hit.

MCC had 15 hits in the game with three each by Warren, Keogh and Hallie Schneider. Leggett and Baca both had two-hit games. Keogh and Baca both had three RBIs.