Cardinals top MCC Baseball with three-run eighth inning

PARSONS, Kan. – The Labette Community College baseball team took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning and held on for a 9-7 win over McCook Community College Monday.

MCC had held the lead through the first five innings before Labette tied the game 6-6 in the fifth.

"We got out to a nice lead again but then they brought a guy in who had our number," said MCC Coach Jon Olsen.

Three McCook errors led to five unearned runs in the game.

"We just didn't do a lot through the middle innings and then we made a couple errors and gave up a couple free passes and they got a couple hits when they needed them," said Olsen.

MCC got on the scoreboard in the top of the first with a leadoff double by sophomore Trent Elshire (Plattsmouth) and an RBI single off the bat of freshman Michael Quick (Oshawa, Ontario). MCC took a 4-0 lead manufacturing three runs in the second on three walks, two hit batters and a single.

The Cardinals got on the board with a leadoff home run in the second, but MCC got that run back on a one-out solo homer from freshman Zeke Minic (Thornton, Colo.) in the third. Sophomore Josh Maysonave (Austin, Texas) made it a 6-1 game with his solo home run in the fourth.

MCC starting pitcher Cade Webber (sophomore, Kelowna, British Columbia) was sharp in his four innings of work allowing one earned run on five hits and five strikeouts. He left the game leading 6-3.

Labette scored three times in the fifth inning to tie the game off freshman reliever Aiden Johnson (Westminster, Colo.) who was nicked for three unearned runs in an inning of work. He allowed two hits, walked one and struck out one.

Freshman Ethan Badcock (Adelade, Australia) came on in the sixth and held the Cardinals in check in his first two innings of relief before leaving the game in the eighth with one out and runners on first and second. He went 2.1 innings, allowed one hit, two walks, two earned runs and he struck out three. Reliever Rocky Yates (redshirt freshman, Sydney, Australia) was greeted with a three-run homer by Jared Mack to put Labette on top 9-7. Yates allowed one earned run in his two-thirds of an inning.

"We made a couple 0-2 pitches that went for hits that we need to clean up a bit, they hurt us, but again at the end of the day it was good for us to get outside again and play, obviously hasn't been easy to get outside at home so each day we get a chance we need to take advantage of it," said Olsen.

MCC had taken a 7-6 lead in the top of the seventh on a pair of walks, followed by two strikeouts, a hit batter, and a bases-loaded walk to Maysonave.

MCC had seven hits and drew eight walks in the game. Elshire led MCC with three hits. Maysonave and Quick both had two RBIs.

MCC goes to 4-6 on the season. On Wednesday MCC travels to Garden City for a 2 p.m. game.

This weekend MCC is scheduled to open the Region IX portion of the schedule at home with a three-game series against Northeastern Junior College (7-5). Saturday's doubleheader starts at 2 p.m. with a seven-inning game and a nine-inning game with Sunday's game starting at 1 p.m.

For all the up-to-date information on MCC baseball this season including up-to-date scheduling changes, statistics, rosters and photos, please visit the official website of MCC Athletics at mccindians.com