MCC Baseball opens home schedule with doubleheader split

The McCook Community College baseball team broke its five-game losing streak with a come-from-behind, 9-8 walk-off win Friday at the Jaycees Sports Complex. The Indians lost Game 2 to Northeast Community College 16-4.

"Game 1 was a fun one to win, that was the kind of team that I want to be and know we can be," said MCC Coach Jon Olsen. "We had bad things happen and got punched in the mouth a couple times, but we just kept fighting back and did a great job of answering back when they scored and stayed in the game."

Sophomore Jason Serafinchon (Spruce Grove, Alberta) homered twice in Game 1 and freshman Luke Bies (La Vista) doubled in the game winner in the seventh inning to cap off the 9-8 win for sophomore reliever Ethan Badcock (Adelaide, Australia).

"Badcock had a great outing out of the bullpen and gave us a chance to win," said Olsen. "Luke had struggled a bit at the plate all game but he came up with a huge hit to walk it off, good for our guys to get back in the right column.

Northeast took a 6-0 lead in Game 2 and after MCC cut the score to 6-4, the Hawks closed out the game with seven runs in the fifth inning and three in the sixth.

"Game 2 was just a matter of free passes, we walked nine and hit five," said Olsen. "Anytime you look up and they have single digit hits and we only made one error you know you just didn't throw enough strikes."

Northeast CC goes to 6-8 and MCC is now 2-8. These two teams will play another doubleheader Sunday in Norfolk starting at 2 p.m.

"It will be good to get back out and play again on Sunday, we just have to keep playing and we'll get to where we need to be," said Olsen.

All the latest information for MCC baseball including up-to-date schedule and changes as well as statistics, rosters and photos can be found on the MCC Athletics website, www.mccindians.com

GAME 1 – McCook CC 9, Northeast CC 8: MCC scored a run in the first on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Michael Quick (Oshawa, Ontario) to go up 1-0.

After the Hawks scored four runs in the second, Jason Serafinchon homered to make it a 4-2 NECC lead. MCC tied the game 4-4 in the fourth with an RBI-single from freshman Nathan Hutchison (Riverton, Wyo.) and a Hawk error.

Northeast took a 6-4 lead with a pair of run in the fifth but Serafinchon homered again to lead off the bottom of the inning to make it a 6-5 MCC deficit.

The Hawks scored a pair of runs in the sixth to chase MCC starter Myles Chabi (sophomore, Sydney, Australia) from the game and put MCC up 8-5. Chabi allowed nine hits, walked two and hit four batters in his 5.1 innings of work and struck out three.

Serafinchon's two-run double in the bottom of the sixth helped pull to within 8-7 and sophomore Will Edwards (Sydney, Australia) singled Serafinchon home to tie the game.

Ethan Badcock who came on in relief in the sixth retired the Hawks in order in the seventh.

MCC got leadoff walks from Maddox Shaver (freshman, Belleville Ontario) and Cory Wouters (freshman, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) before Bies doubled home Shaver for the winning run.

Badcock picked up the win in relief over 1.2 innings, not allowing a hit or a run, he walked one and struck out one.

MCC outhit Northeast 14-9 with Serafinchon's three hit, four-RBI game and a three-hit game from Edwards. Wouters had a pair of hits.

GAME 2 –Northeast CC 16, McCook CC 4: The Hawks took a 6-0 lead with four runs in the second inning and two more in the third. Starting pitcher, Tobey Cassino (Arvada, Colo.) went 2.1 innings, allowing five earned runs on four hits, four walks and three strikeouts.

The Indians scored their only runs of the game in the bottom of the third on a walk and a two-run home run by Will Edwards, a double by sophomore Blake Dale and a two-run home run by Maddox Shaver to cut the NECC lead to 6-4.

Northeast broke the game open with seven runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth inning.

Sophomore Zack Lane (Phoenix, Ariz.) pitched 2.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on two hits and three walks. Freshman Leif Friedrich (Surrey, British Columbia) faced three batters and Dylan Huddle (Arvada, Colo.) faced nine. They allowed six earned runs and walked two.

MCC had six hits in the game.