Eighth-inning surge leads MCC Baseball to first ever region championship game

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — For the second day in a row some clutch eighth-inning hitting propelled the McCook Community College baseball team to another win in the Region IX tournament – this one a 10-6 win over Otero Junior College to propel the team into its first ever Region IX championship appearence Sunday at UCHealth Field.

In addition, MCC has also clinched a spot in the West District tournament for the first time ever. The winner of Sunday's Region IX championship between MCC and Southeast Community College will host the tournament, but the loser also advances to the four-team field which includes the Arizona Region winner, Pima Community College and the winner of the Utah/Idaho/Nevada region, Salt Lake Community College.

Tied 6-6 in the eighth inning, MCC scored four runs in the bottom of the inning. With two outs sophomore Ethan Murdoch (Swift Current, Saskatchewan) came back from an 0-2 count and doubled in two runs, sophomore Josh Maysonave (Austin, Texas) followed with a single and Abel Reyes (sophomore, Puerto Caimito, Panama) doubled home Maysonave for the final margin of victory. Freshman Jereniel Herrera (Panama City, Panama) closed out the ninth inning on the mound and picked up his second straight win in relief.

"It was just another really fun game today, tied in the bottom eighth inning again. Today it was Ethan Murdoch with the big two-strike, two-out hit, then we got two more swings after that to extend it out a bit," said Olsen. "Herrera was lights out again today, we asked a lot out of him and he delivered."

MCC improves to 37-21 on the season and will face Southeast CC (40-16) at noon (CT) Sunday. The Storm came back from a 6-5 loss Friday to Otero to beat Western Nebraska 11-6 in an elimination game Friday then beat Otero in an elimination game Saturday 17-11. If Southeast wins the first game Sunday, it would force a second game for the Region IX title.

"We have just turned into a team that is wildly fun to coach, they just play the game no matter what is going on," said Olsen. "It is going to be a fun day tomorrow.

In the opening game Friday, MCC came back from a 10-9 deficit to Otero in the eighth inning with a two-out, bases-loaded two-run single by freshman Michael Quick (Oshawa, Ontario) to reclaim the lead and held on for an 11-10 win.

On Saturday, Otero took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a Phil Carter home run and added another in the second on a two-out single by Tommy Fiocchi.

MCC responded with three hits in the bottom of the third to tie the game at 2-2 when Tyus Chudomelka (sophomore, Bellevue) singled, Quick tripled and sophomore transfer Alliskair Descartes (Thornton, Colo.) doubled home Quick.

Otero reclaimed the lead in the fourth on a pair of hits and a sacrifice fly.

MCC took a 6-3 lead in the fifth, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring four runs. Quick singled, Descartes doubled, Murdoch singled in two, a Rattler error allowed Murdoch to score and freshman Jason Serafinchon (Spruce Grove, Alberta) drove home the final run of the inning with an RBI-groundout to second base.

In the Otero sixth, after retiring the first Rattler, MCC starting pitcher Owen Lester (St. Charles, Ill.) gave up a single and walked two hitters to load the bases. Mikey Acierno (Thornton, Colo.) was the first pitcher out of the bullpen for the second day in a row and struck out the only hitter he faced and gave way to Herrera, but Otero tied the game 6-6 on a three-run error.

"Owen did a great job of keeping us in the game," said Olsen.

Lester pitched 5.1 innings, allowed seven hits, three earned runs, walked five and struck out three.

MCC went out in order in the sixth, Herrera allowed a leadoff single in the seventh but struck out the next three hitters. Maysonave doubled to lead off the bottom of the seventh but was left stranded.

After Herrera retired Otero in order in the eighth, sophomore Daegen Morcom (Winnipeg, Manitoba) led off the bottom of the eighth with a single. Quick singled with one out then with two out the stage was set for Murdoch. He took the first two pitches for strikes, took the third pitch for a ball, fouled off another, took ball two, then fouled off two more pitches before driving home Morcom and Quick with his hard groundball to center field followed by RBI hits from Maysonave and Reyes.

In the ninth Herrera got the first hitter on a lineout to shortstop, gave up a single to Carter, then induced a pair of flyouts to send MCC into the Region IX championship game.

In picking up his second straight win, Herrera pitched the final 3.1 innings, allowing two hits, no earned runs, no walks and three strikeouts. For the weekend, he's pitched six innings in relief, picked up wins in both games, allowed one earned run, five hits, no walks and six strikeouts.

MCC outhit Otero 17-9 led by four from Maysonave, three by Quick and two each by Descartes, Murdoch, Reyes and Zeke Minic (Thornton, Colo.).

MCC went 1-5 this season against Southeast, the top team in the Empire Conference North Division. On March 11, MCC scored an 11-10 win. That was a game in which MCC trailed 10-3 in the sixth inning, scored seven runs in the sixth and pushed across the game winner in the eighth. After weather delayed the series three days, Southeast took a doubleheader 6-3, and 12-9.

At the series in Beatrice April 16-17, the Storm beat MCC 12-2 in six innings, 16-13 and 5-4.

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 CROSS - DIVISION

CROSS-DIVISION PLAYOFFS

Best-Of-Three Series

MAY 4

Otero JC 13, Northeastern JC 3, 7-innings, (at Otero)

MAY 5

McCook 12, Lamar 2 (at McCook)

Northeastern JC 10, Otero JC 5 (at Otero)

Otero JC 3, Northeastern JC 1 (at Otero); Otero wins series 2-1

Western Nebraska 24, Trinidad State 12, (at Trinidad)

MAY 6

McCook 20, Lamar 13 (at McCook); McCook wins series 2-0

Western Nebraska 13, Trinidad State 9 (at Trinidad). Western wins series 2-0

REGION IX TOURNAMENT

FINAL FOUR DOUBLE-ELIMINATION

(All times MT)

FRIDAY May 12

Game 1 - Otero JC 6, Southeast CC 5

Game 2 – McCook CC 11, Western Nebraska 10

Game 3 – Southeast CC 11, Western Nebraska 6 (Western Nebraska eliminated)

SATURDAY GAMES

Game 4 – McCook 10, Otero JC  6

Game 5 –Southeast CC 19, Otero JC 11 (Otero eliminated)

SUNDAY

Game 6 – McCook (37-21) vs. Southeast CC (40-16), noon

Game 7 (If Necessary) – Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 4 p.m.