MCC slugs way to sweep over Rattlers and extends win streak to 14 games

The McCook Community College baseball team slugged eight home runs Saturday and swept Otero Junior College at the Jaycees Sports Complex to extend the team's winning streak to 14 games. MCC won 16-5 and 14-7.

Sophomore transfer Alliskair Descartes (Thornton, Colo.) smacked two home runs in the first game and another in the second. Freshman Zeke Minic (Thornton, Colo.) slugged a pair of homers in the first game and MCC swatted four in each game.

"It was a pretty good day today especially offensively," said MCC Coach Jon Olsen. "It was a tough day to pitch and a favorable day to hit and I thought both our starters battled hard."

Sophomore Mikey Acierno (Thornton, Colo.) picked up the complete game win in Game 1 and freshman starter Myles Chabi (Sydney, Australia), pitched the first five innings in Game 2.

"Otero put some good swings on us today and we had to work, but in Game 1 we turned a couple big double plays and defended well all day," said Olsen.

MCC had 13hits in each game with eight extra-base hits in Game 1 and six in Game 2.

"We really had some good approaches at the plate and when we got good pitches to hit, we put good swings on it," said Olsen.

MCC improves to 22-13 on the season and 12-7 in Empire League play (Region IX).

Otero goes to 11-15 overall and 7-13 in the Empire League.

The two teams will wrap up their four-game series Sunday with a doubleheader 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

GAME 1 – McCook CC 16, Otero JC 5: After Otero scored a run in the first, MCC scored five times in the bottom of the inning keyed by a two-run double from sophomore Josh Maysonave (Austin, Texas) then a two-out, three-run home run by freshman Zeke Minic (Thornton, Colo.).

The Rattlers cut the gap to 5-4 with three runs in the second but MCC took a 9-4 lead scoring four more times in the second. Sophomore transfer Alliskair Descartes (Thornton, Colo.) smacked a two-run home to make it a 7-4 MCC lead. Freshman Jason Serafinchon (Spruce Grove, Alberta) singled in a run to make it an 8-4 game and sophomore Riley Watson (Sydney, Australia) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give MCC a 9-4 lead.

MCC scored three times in the third with an RBI-single by Maysonave, and RBI-groundout by sophomore Abel Reyes (Puerto Caimito, Panama), and an RBI-single from Serafinchon to make it a 12-4 game.

Descartes homered in the fourth and Minic smashed a three-run homer in the fifth to end the game on the 10-run rule.

Sophomore Mikey Acierno (Thornton, Colo.) went the distance allowing five earned runs, seven hits, two walks and six strikeouts. MCC picked up the complete-game win on the mound, allowing seven hits in five innings of work with five runs on two walks and six strikeouts.

MCC had 13 hits in the game with Minic homering twice (his eighth and ninth of the season) and doubling with five RBIs. Descartes homered twice with three RBIs, and Serafinchon had three hits and two driven in. Maysonave had two hits and three RBIs.

GAME 2 –McCook CC 14, Otero Junior College 7: Otero scored a run in the first and another in the third to lead 2-0, but MCC countered with three runs in the bottom of the inning on a Alliskair Descartes single, a double by Ethan Murdoch and a two-out home run from Jason Serafinchon.

The Rattlers scored two more runs in the fourth off freshman starter Myles Chabi (Sydney, Australia) but his team came back with four runs in the bottom of the inning highlighted by a leadoff solo home run from sophomore Tyus Chudomelka (Bellevue) and with two outs an RBI-single by Abel Reyes and a two-run double by Zeke Minic to put MCC up 7-4.

The home team scored three times in the fifth inning on doubles by Chudomelka and Descartes, a sacrifice fly by Murdoch and a Reyes single.

MCC added four in the sixth on a three-run homer by Descartes (his third of the day, and eighth of the season, and a solo shot by Murdoch, (his ninth of the season.).

Chabi picked up the win over five innings, allowing six hits, five earned runs, three walks and he struck out 11. Jereniel Herrera (freshman, Panama City, Panama) pitched the final two innings, surrendering two earned runs on three hits. He struck out four.

MCC had 13 hits in the game with Descartes leading the way with three and also two-hit games from Murdoch, Reyes, Minic and Chudomelka. Descartes drove in four runs and Murdoch three.