MCC Softball splits home-opening doubleheader with Trinidad

MCC Softball splits home-opening doubleheader with Trinidad

The McCook Community College softball team played its first home game Saturday and won in convincing fashion, then dropped the second game of a doubleheader to Trinidad State Junior College. MCC won the first game 9-1 in five innings and lost the second game 6-3.

Freshman Avery O'Neil (Ellsworth, Wis.) went the distance in the pitching circle in Game 1, and MCC got a three-run home run by freshman Ashland Baca (Byers, Colo.) as part of a six-run, two out rally in the second inning of Game 1. Trinidad scored four times in the seventh inning of Game 2 for the comeback win.

The two teams will continue their four-game series Sunday with games at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Trinidad goes to 13-7 on the season and 6-2 in the Region IX standings tied with the Lady Indians for second place.

MCC is 15-5, (6-2 in the region). Sunday will be the final time the two teams will play in the regular season.

For more photos from today's game please visit the McCook Community College Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MPCCMcCook

GAME 1 MCC 9, Trinidad State 1: The Lady Indians exploded for eight runs in the second inning then scored a run in the fifth to end the game on the eight-run rule.
Freshman Ashland Baca (Byers, Colo.) led off the second with a single and later in the inning smashed a two-out, three-run home run. Baca's single, a walk and an error loaded the bases. Freshman Rae VanMilligan (Marion, Iowa) singled to make it 1-0, a bases-loaded walk with Taylor Thein (freshman, West Branch, Iowa) at bat put MCC up 2-0.
Sophomore Camryn Laird (Pueblo, Colo.) delivered a two-out RBI single to make it a 3-0 game and sophomore Emily Arp (McCook) followed with a two-run single putting the Lady Indians up 5-0. Baca followed with her home run to make it an 8-0 game.
MCC ended the game on a pair of walks in the fifth inning, a bunt single by Alexis Cortez (freshman, Aurora, Colo.) and a walk-off single by Laird.
Freshman Avery O'Neil (Ellsworth, Wis.) went the distance in the pitching circle, allowing two hits, walking four and striking out nine.
Cortez, Baca and Laird all had two-hit games for MCC.

GAME 2 -- Trinidad State 6, MCC 3: Down 2-1 in the second inning, the Lady Indians scored three times and held the lead until the Lady Trojans pushed across four runs in the seventh inning to salvage a split on the day.
Sophomore Taryn Jenkins (Aldergrove, British Columbia) and Charlyee Ortiz (freshman, Maud, Okla.) set the table with one-out singles in the second inning in front of Alice Midiri (sophomore Condove, Italy) who, after a passed ball, doubled them home to give MCC a 2-1 lead. Midiri scored on a double by Rae VanMilligan.
Avery O'Neil pitched the first two innings for MCC allowing one unearned run on two hits, two walks and two strikeouts. Anna Wilcox (sophomore, Victoria, British Columbia) came on in relief in the third and pitched three scoreless innings before Trinidad got to her late. She allowed five hits and three earned runs in her five innings of work. She struck out four.
MCC had eight hits in the game with sophomore Emily Arp the only one with two hits.
The Lady Indians committed five errors in the game.