MCC Softball moves over .500 mark for first time in 6-3 season finale win over Cougars

SCOTTSBLUFF – It took 55 games, but on Monday, the McCook Community College softball team went over .500 for the first time on the regular-season finale, taking a 6-3 win over Western Nebraska. MCC will enter the Region IX Division I tournament Thursday as the No. 3 seed and it looks like the team will open play against Western Nebraska.

Sophomore Hailee Ruble (Delta, Colo.) picked up the complete-game win Monday for MCC and led the offense with three hits in three at bats and two RBIs.

"Hailee threw a great game and we did enough to win," said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall.

Seven of the nine runs in the game were scored in the first two inning as MCC was able to take the five-game series 4-1 and finish the regular season at 28-27.

"These five-game series are tough," said Mendenhall. "It will be nice to have a couple days off to prepare for our region tournament."

Northeastern Junior College won the regular season Region IX conference and earned the right to host this year's post-season tournament. Trinidad finished second and MCC third at 17-12. Official bracket information and pairings and game times will be announced Tuesday, but Mendenhall said it appears MCC will play No. 6 Western Nebraska at 10:30 a.m. (MT). Luna takes on Otero in one game and Lamar will face Trinidad State in the other first-round matchup.

On Monday, MCC was the home team on the scoreboard since this game was a make-up from the early March round-robin tournament in Lamar that was postponed.

After Western scored a run in the first MCC responded with two in the bottom of the first with a leadoff single by sophomore Nevaeh Ogden (Littleton Colo.), a two-out RBI-single by sophomore Hailee Ruble (Delta, Colo.) and a triple by sophomore Emma Pennala (Kennewick, Wash.).

The Cougars scored two in the second and MCC was able to get those runs back in the bottom of the second on a double by Ogden, and RBI-single from Madisyn Simms (Maple Ridge, British Columbia) and a bases-loaded walk with Ruble at the plate to put MCC up 4-3

Sophomore Cassidy Fife homered to lead off the MCC third to make it a 5-3 MCC lead. Freshman Andie Suhai (Medicine Hat, Alberta) lined a one-out double in the fourth and scored on a single by Ruble for the final run.

Ruble was the winning pitcher, allowing six hits in seven innings, one earned run, one walk and she struck out two.

MCC had 12 hits with three by Ruble and two each by Ogden, Suhai and Pennala.

Western Nebraska finishes the regular season 10-33 and 10-20 in Region IX play where they will be the No. 6 seed.

MCC goes to 28-27 overall.

Northeastern Junior College won the Region IX regular-season championship with a 25-4 mark and earned the right to host the post-season double-elimination tournament starting Thursday. Trinidad State was second at 23-6 and MCC third at 17-12.

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

REGION IX FINAL STANDINGS

                                                              OVERALL

                                    W – L   PCT.     W – L    PCT.

Northeastern JC            25-4     .862      34-13    .723

Trinidad State               23-6     .793      34-12    .739

McCook CC                  17-12    .586      28-27    .509

Otero JC                       14-16    .467      17-30    .362

Luna CC                       12-17    .414      15-30    .333

Western Nebraska        10-20    .333      10-34    .227

Lamar CC                      2-18    .067        4-36    .100

REGION IX DIVISION 1 TOURNAMENT

at Sterling, Colo. May 4-6

(All games MST, times are unofficial)

THURSDAY GAMES

Game 1 – No. 5 Luna CC vs. No. 4 Otero JC, TBA.

Game 2 – No. 6 Western Nebraska vs. No. 3 McCook, TBA

Game 3 – No. 7 Lamar vs. No. 2 Trinidad State, TBA

Game 4 – Game 1 winner vs. No. 1 Northeastern JC, 3:30 p.m.

Game 5 – Game 2 loser vs. Game 3 loser, 6 p.m. (Elimination game)

Game 6 – Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 8:30 p.m.

FRIDAY

Game 7 – Game 1 loser vs. Game 6 loser, 8 a.m. (elimination game)

Game 8 – Game 4 loser vs. Game 5 winner, 10:30 a.m. (elimination game)

Game 9 – Game 4 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 1 p.m.

Game 10 – Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 3:30 p.m. (elimination game