MCC Baseball falls 12-9 to Colby; Team to host Region IX playoff starting Friday

The McCook Community College baseball team closed out the regular season Monday with a 12-9 loss to Colby Community College.

MCC will now turn its attention to the Region IX postseason where they will host a first-round best-of-three series against Lamar Community College starting Friday at 2 p.m.

On Monday MCC scored three times in the first and twice in the second to take a 5-0 lead but Colby came back from a 5-1 deficit to score three runs in the seventh inning and four each in the eighth and ninth innings.

"Today was just a recipe to not have success," said Jon Olsen. "Honestly games like these for us have been few and far between where we didn't throw enough strikes and make a couple big defensive miscues."

MCC took advantage of five first-inning Colby walks to score three runs. MCC scored on a passed ball, an RBI-single by Abel Reyes (sophomore, Puerto Caimito, Panama), and a bases-loaded walk to lead 3-0. Freshman Michael Quick (Oshawa, Ontario) singled to lead off the second and went to third on a double by Ethan Murdoch (Swift Current, Saskatchewan). With two outs Reyes doubled home both runners to put MCC up 5-0.

Rocky Yates (redshirt freshman, Sydney, Australia) pitched two perfect innings to start the game, striking out three hitters before he turned the game over to Jackson Bigge (sophomore, Fort Collins, Colo.) who pitched two scoreless innings, walking three and striking out three. Blake Banello (freshman, Thornton, Colo.) pitched the fifth inning and allowed a run on two hits with one strikeout as Colby cut the MCC lead to 5-1.

Victor Nane, (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) pitched a scoreless fifth but ran into trouble in his second inning of relief, allowing two walks, a hit batter and two singles in the six as Colby pulled to within 5-4. Freshman Ryan Heu (Brampton, Ontario) came in to strike out all three of the batters he faced in the sixth.

Reyes led off the MCC sixth with a double and with two outs scored on an RBI-single from sophomore Tyus Chudomelka (Bellevue) to put MCC up 6-4.

Colby took an 8-6 lead in the eighth off Heu, who allowed four runs in two innings, walking one and striking out five hitters.

"In the eighth we misplayed a ball that would have got us out of the inning, and we didn't make it and gave up four runs," said Olsen.

Reyes delivered an RBI-single in the bottom of the inning to cut the Colby lead to 8-7 but the Trojans stretched the lead to 12-7 in the ninth off Jereniel Herrera (freshman, Panama City, Panama).

"Then in the top ninth, we could have got out of there with only a run but we couldn't execute a throw after a strikeout to finish the inning and gave up three after that," said Olsen.

With two outs in the ninth, MCC got a single by Chudomelka, a double by Quick and a two-run single by sophomore Alliskair Descartes (Thornton, Colo.).

Reyes led the 13-hit MCC offense with four hits and four RBIs, Murdoch had three hits and MCC got two-hit games from Descartes, Quick and Chudomelka.

The two teams combined for 16 walks in the game with MCC pitchers walking nine and hitting six hit batters.

"I think coach Rhett Miller said we gave up something like 17 free passes which is tough to do and be successful," said Olsen, "But honestly for me I just love to play and compete and like watching our guys compete too, sometimes it doesn't go as well as you wanted but shoot let's go play."

Colby goes to 13-36.

MCC improves to 33-21 overall.

This weekend MCC (22-12 in Region IX play) will host Lamar (11-23 in Region IX) in a best-of-three cross-divisional playoffs starting at 2 p.m. Friday and a doubleheader Saturday (if necessary) starting at 1 p.m.

In the other first round matchups Northeastern Junior College travels to La Junta, Colo., to take on Otero and Western Nebraska travels to Trinidad State. Luna Community College was disqualified from post-season play so top-seeded Southeastern Junior College receives a bye into the round of four.

This weekend's other three winners will advance to the Region IX final four tournament in Windsor, Colo. May 12-13.

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

REGION IX FINAL STANDINGS

EMPIRE CONFERENCE NORTH

                                                              OVERALL

                                    W – L   PCT.     W – L    PCT.

* Southeastern CC        27-7     .794      38-15    .717

McCook CC                   22-12    .647      33-20    .623

Northeastern JC            18-16    .529      27-27    .500

Western Nebraska          9-23    .281      11-37    .229

* Receives bye into Region IX Tournament

EMPIRE CONFERENCE SOUTH

                                                              OVERALL

                                    W – L   PCT.     W – L    PCT.

Trinidad State               17-15    .531      24-29    .454

** Luna CC                   16-18    .471      21-35    .375

Otero JC                       14-20    .412      21-32    .396

Lamar CC                     11-23    .234      15-39    .278

** Luna ineligible for post-season play

REGION IX TOURNAMENT

CROSS-DIVISION PLAYOFFS

Best-Of-Three Series

FRIDAY

Lamar at McCook, 2 p.m. (CT)

Western Nebraska at Trinidad State, 1 p.m. (MT)

Northeastern JC at Otero, TBA

SATURDAY

Lamar at McCook, 1 p.m.; (4 p.m. if necessary)

Western Nebraska at Trinidad State, Noon (MT); (3 p.m. if necessary)

Northeastern JC at Otero, TBA