MCC Softball slugs seven extra-base hits in 13-1 win over Luna Thursday

The McCook Community College softball team started a five-game series Thursday night at home with a 13-1 win over Luna Community College in five innings. MCC powered five doubles and two home runs in the Region IX win.

"It was a good day today. We played very well all around," said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall. "We needed this win with how things have been going."

MCC (the visiting team in the scorebook) scored five times in the first, added three in the second and five in the fourth.

Sophomore Emma Pennala (Kennewick, Wash.) led off the first with a single and scored on a double by Madisyn Simms (sophomore, Maple Ridge, British Columbia). MCC made it 3-0 on back-to-back RBI singles from freshman Andie Suhai (Medicine Hat, Alberta) and sophomore transfer Hailee Ruble (Delta, Colo.) and a two-out, two-run homer by sophomore Cassidy Fife (Provo, Utah).

In the MCC second, sophomore Nevaeh Ogden (Littleton Colo.) started a two-out rally with a single and scored on a Simms double. Suhai doubled in Simms and Ruble singled in Suhai to put MCC up 8-0.

Freshman Kalyn Jackson (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) led off the MCC fourth with a double and scored on an Ogden single. After Simms singled, Suhai hit a two-run home run and freshman Katie Taylor (McCook) singled in Graci Nelson (McCook), who had singled.

"It's nice to see the bottom half of our line up start to feel more comfortable at the plate," said Mendenhall.

Luna scored its only run of the game with an unearned tally in the fifth inning.

Freshman Ella Covill-Marter (Queensland, Australia) pitched all five innings for MCC allowing three hits, one walk, no earned runs and she struck out seven.

"Ella threw a fantastic game for us and defensively we were great," said Mendenhall.

MCC swatted out 17 hits with three each by Suhai (who had five RBIs) and Simms, who doubled twice. Pennala, Ogden, Ruble and Fife all had two hits.

"Andie Suhai has absolutely been smashing these past six games," said Mendenhall.

MCC goes to 2-14 on the season and 1-5 in the Region IX standings. Luna falls to 2-4 in Region IX and 5-17 overall.

The two teams will play a pair of double headers Friday and Saturday starting at noon both days.

"We need to continue coming out with that confidence and fire on a daily basis to be able to compete in our region," said Mendenhall.

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