MCC Softball polishes off regular season at home sweeping Knights

The McCook Community College softball team polished of the regular season Friday at home sweeping North Platte Community College 10-1 and 11-3.

"We had a lot of support today from our fans as it was Sophomore day and Purple Out," said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall. "Epilepsy awareness is an important topic for the MCC family and Abbee Terry's family. We appreciate the opportunity our softball has to be a part of it – in a large part because of all the support given by our students, staff, faculty and everyone in this community."

North Platte took early leads in both games. In Game 1, MCC scored seven runs in the fifth inning to end the game on the eight-run rule. Down 2-1 in the third inning of Game 2, MCC scored six times and closed out the game with two runs in the fourth, one in the fifth and one in the sixth.

"Today we swung ourselves out of the little funk we were in hitting," said Mendenhall. "We had better approaches at the plate."

MCC had 25 hits over 11 innings at the plate and got complete game wins from pitchers Hailee Ruble (Delta, Colo.) and Isabella Robertson (Las Alamos, N.M.)

"We needed this kind of performance from our pitchers and hitters before these final five games against Western Nebraska," said Mendenhall.

North Platte finishes the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference at 2-10 and are 13-28 overall.

MCC finishes at 8-4 in the Nebraska Conference, second behind Central Community College (9-3).

This was the final home game for sophomores Emma Pennala, Nevaeh Ogden, Hailee Ruble, Madisyn Simms and Cassidy Fife.

"I am extremely proud of these sophomores and how they have grown as players and helped us come together," said Mendenhall.

With two wins Friday MCC improves to 24-26 on the season heading into the final five-game Region IX Division 1 conference games this weekend at Scottsbluff against Western Nebraska. The two teams play doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday starting each day at 1 p.m. (CT) with the Monday game set to start at 1 p.m.

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 – McCook CC 10, North Platte CC 1: North Platte took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and held it until the third inning. Madisyn Simms (Maple Ridge, British Columbia) started things off with a one-out single, stole second, went to third on a single by freshman Andie Suhai (Medicine Hat, Alberta).  Sophomore Hailee Ruble (Delta, Colo.) singled in Simms to tie the game 1-1 and Emma Pennala (Kennewick, Wash.) singled in Suhai and Ruble to put MCC up 3-1.

MCC finished things off with seven runs in the fifth to win on the eight-run rule. Ruble led off the inning with a single followed by a one-out RBI-single from sophomore Cassidy Fife (Provo, Utah). After a Knight error, Ella Covill-Marter (freshman, Queensland, Australia) singled in Fife to give MCC a 5-1 lead. With two-outs Nevaeh Ogden (Littleton Colo.) drove in a run on a groundout, Simms singled home a run and Suhai ended the game with a three-run home run.

Ruble picked up the win in the pitching circle allowing six hits and no earned runs. She walked two and struck out four.

Simms led MCC's 13-hit attack with four hits. Suhai, Ruble and Pennala all had two hits.

GAME 2 – McCook CC 11, North Platte 3: North Platte scored two runs in the first before MCC responded with a run in the second keyed by a Knight error.

Down 2-1 in the third, MCC loaded the bases on a walk, a North Platte error and a single by Andi Suhai followed by an RBI-single by Hailee Ruble to the game 2-2, a two run single from Emma Pennala, a bases-loaded walk, a passed ball and an error to give MCC a 7-2 edge.

Madisyn Simms and Suhai hit back-to-back solo home runs in the fourth inning to put MCC up 9-2.

NPCC scored a run in the fifth but MCC got that run back in the bottom of the frame on an error, a single by Ava Martinez (Houston, Texas) and later Ella Covill-Marter singled to put MCC back up 10-3.

In the sixth Simms singled, Ruble doubled and with one out, Pennala singled home a run to end the game on the eight-run rule.

MCC starting pitcher Isabella Robertson (Las Alamos, N.M.) picked up the win. In six innings, she surrendered six hits, two earned runs, a walk and struck out six.

MCC had 12 hits in the game with two each by Martinez, Ruble, Simms and Pennala.