MCC Softball sweeps Colby in home opener

The McCook Community College softball team opened the home portion of the schedule Thursday with sweep over Colby Community College 6-2, 9-5.

Three MCC pitchers combined to strike out 16 hitters while allowing five walks and five earned runs.

"Pitchers and defense were awesome today," said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall. "They competed in the zone and limited the walks."

Sophomore Andie Suhai (Medicine Hat, Alberta) hit a pair of home runs in the first game and hit one in the first inning of Game 2 to power the offense. She went five-for-five on the day with six runs scored and five RBIs.

"Andie was locked in at the plate," said Mendenhall. "She found her swing today."

MCC got some timely double plays in both games.

"Our defense really kept us both games as well," said Mendenhall. "I think we had four double plays on the day."

Colby goes to 4-6 on the season.

MCC improves to 4-2 and will be home Friday and Saturday for a pair of doubleheaders against Northeast Community College. First pitch both days will be 1 p.m.

GAME 1 – McCook CC 6, Colby CC 2: Andie Suhai led off the scoring with a solo home run in the first inning. The score remained 1-0 until Colby scored twice in fifth inning.

The Lady Indians reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning on a one-out single by Suhai, a Colby error and an RBI double from Sadie Kahl (Calgary, Alberta) to put MCC up 3-2.

Sophomore Brylee Dean (Gering) led off the sixth for MCC with a solo homer. Freshman Ayana Goodwin (Broomfield, Colo.) followed with a single. With two outs, Suhai launched her second home run of the game for the final margin of 6-2.

Ella Covill-Marter (Queensland, Australia) picked up the complete-game win, yielding six hits, two walks and she struck out six.

MCC outhit the Trojans 11-6. Suhai had three hits. Kahl, Goodwin and freshman Anna Elliott (Calgary, Alberta) all had two-hit games.

GAME 2 – McCook CC 9, Colby CC 5: Suhai picked up where she left off in Game 1 with a two-run home run in the first inning to put MCC up 2-0. Colby pitching issued six walks later in the inning to give MCC a 4-0 lead.

Colby got a run back in the second off starting pitcher Lexi Knapp (freshman, Berthoud, Colo.). The Lady Indians scored a run in the bottom of the inning on a walk and later a Colby error.

Knapp pitched two innings allowing one earned run on five hits, a walk and three strikeouts. She left the game with a 5-1 lead.

The Trojans scored twice in the fourth off reliever Sadie Kahl, but MCC scored in the bottom of the frame on a solo home run from freshman Laila Gutierrez (Seminole, Texas) to put the Lady Indians in front 6-3. MCC added a run in the fifth with an infield single by Brylee Dean and a two-out RBI single by Ella Covill-Marter.

Colby scored twice in the sixth but MCC responded with two runs on a walk by Suhai, a double by freshman Kendree Kern (LaSalle, Colo.) and a triple by Dean.

Kahl pitched the final five innings of the game, allowing six hits, two walks and she struck out seven.

MCC had eight hits in the game with Suhai, Dean and Guiterrez with two hits each.