Southeast Storm sweep pair of one-run games over MCC Softball

BEATRICE – The Southeast Community College softball team took a pair of one-run games from McCook Community College Wednesday winning 4-3 and 5-4.

The Strom won the first game on a walk-off single in the eighth inning and overcame an early 4-1 deficit in Game 2 to score the last four runs of the game and sweep the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference doubleheader.

"The ball just didn't fall when we needed it to," said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall. "The girls competed today, but just came up short."

Southeast goes to 4-6 in the NCCAC and 10-22 overall.

The losses drop MCC into second in the Nebraska conference at 5-3 and 19-22 overall.

MCC is in the midst of a stretch where they are scheduled to play 16 games over 10 days including nine games since Saturday.

"Nine games in five straight days is a lot," said Mendenhall.

After taking Thursday off, MCC will be back home for five more games this weekend. The series against Trinidad has been altered slightly with the first game set for 2 p.m. on Friday, followed by a doubleheader Saturday at noon, and a doubleheader Sunday starting at 1 p.m.

Trinidad State leads the Region IX D1 standings at 19-1 and 29-7 overall. Northeastern Junior College is second at 17-2 and 26-10. MCC is third at 11-8.

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

GAME 1 – Southeast CC 4, McCook CC 3 (8 innings): Sophomore Nevaeh Ogden (Littleton Colo.) broke up a scoreless tie in the third inning with a one-out single. She went to third when the Storm committed an error on an attempted pickoff attempt and scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Madisyn Simms (Maple Ridge, British Columbia).

With two outs in the fourth inning MCC loaded the bases on a double by Cassidy Fife (sophomore, Ogden Utah), a Southeast error and a walk but were unable to produce any runs. Southeast tied the game 1-1 with a run in the bottom of the inning.

Ogden led off the fifth with a triple and game MCC a 2-1 lead with an RBI-groundout with Simms batting but Southeast tied the game at 2-2 with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fifth.

Freshman Isabella Robertson (Las Alamos, N.M.) pitched one out into the sixth inning before giving way to reliever Ella Covill-Marter (Queensland, Australia). Robertson allowed two earned runs on six hits, five walks and five strikeouts.

Gracie Nelson (freshman, McCook) led off the MCC seventh with a walk and Ogden followed reaching on an error that sent Nelson to third. Ogden stole a base and Simms put MCC up 3-2 with a sacrifice fly but SECC tied the game with a one-out solo homer in the bottom of the frame.

MCC loaded the bases in the eight but didn't score and in the bottom of the inning, Southeast got a two-out single for the walk-off win.

Covill-Marter, pitched the final 2.1 innings, allowing two hits, one walk and she struck out three.

MCC had seven hits in the game with two each by Ogden and sophomore Hailee Ruble (Delta, Colo.).

GAME 2 – Southeast CC 5, McCook CC 4: After giving up a run in the first, MCC came back with four runs in the second inning set up with a pair of errors to lead off the inning, and a walk. Freshman Katie Taylor (McCook) singled to tie the game. Kalyn Jackson (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) hit a sacrifice fly to give MCC a 2-1 lead and with two outs RBI-singles by Nevaeh Ogden and Madisyn Simms put MCC on top 4-1.

Southeast scored twice in the second, once in the third to tie the game at 4-4 and plated the game-winner in the fifth inning.

MCC was limited to two singles in the third through seventh innings.

Ella Covill-Marter (Queensland, Australia) pitched five innings for MCC, allowing six hits, one walk, two earned runs and four strikeouts. Hailee Ruble pitched the final inning allowing a hit, a walk and striking out one.

MCC had five hits in the game, all singles.

NEBRASKA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

ATHLETIC CONFERENCE STANDINGS

                         W - L      PCT.

Central CC           8 – 2       .800

McCook CC          5 – 3       .625

Southeast CC      4 – 6       .400

North Platte        1 – 7      .125

MCC NCCAC RESULTS

March 30 – G1: MCC 12, Southeast 11. G2: MCC 7, Southeast CC 6 (at McCook)

April 13 – G1: MCC 7, Central 4. G2: Central 10, MCC 5 (at McCook)

April 18 – G1: MCC 10, North Platte 0; G2: McCook 12, North Platte 3 (at North Platte)

April 19 – G1: Southeast CC 4, McCook CC 3 (8 innings). G2: Southeast CC 5, McCook 4 (at Beatrice)

MCC's REMAINING NCCAC SCHEDULE

April 26 – McCook CC at Central CC, 2 games

April 28 – North Platte at McCook CC, 2 games