MCC Softball opens Region IX showcase with pair of wins

The McCook Community College softball team began the Region IX round-robin showcase Thursday with a dramatic extra-inning 6-5 win over Trinidad State and continued the momentum beat Lamar 24-1 in the other game.

In the decisive eighth inning of Game 1, sophomore Alexis Cortez (Aurora, Colo.) doubled home Alyssa Winter (freshman, Lexington) with the game winner. Winter led off the inning with a pinch-hit double.

 "I'm very proud of the team for the way they continued to fight back in Game 1 and come out with a win," said MCC Coach Kevin Kaalberg.

Against Lamar MCC sent 16-straight hitters to the plate in the second inning, tallied 21 hits in five innings including three home runs and nine extra-base hits.

"The second game was just an impressive offensive display," Kaalberg said. "They played with enthusiasm and both wins were a total team effort."

On the first day of the Region IX season, MCC goes to the top of the standings with a 2-0 mark along with Northeastern Junior College and Otero. The Plainswomen downed Trinidad State 13-5 and beat Lamar 9-2 while Otero was a 9-1 winner over Western Nebraska and 5-0 over Luna. Western is 1-1 having downed Luna 25-4. Trinidad State and Luna went 0-2 on the day.

Region IX has cancelled the Saturday schedule of seven games.

The Friday schedule will continue as planned.

MCC takes on Luna Community College at 10 .m. and then Otero at 4 p.m.

For more photos from today's games, please visit the MCC Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MPCCMcCook

Region IX Showcase Schedule

THURSDAY RESULTS

Northeastern 13, Trinidad State 5

Otero 9, Western Nebraska 1

McCook 6, Trinidad State 5 (8 innings)

Otero 5, Luna 0

Northeastern Junior College 9, Lamar 2

Western Nebraska 25, Luna 4

McCook 24, Lamar 1

FRIDAY SCHEDULE

10 a.m. – Lamar vs. Trinidad State (east field)

10 a.m. – McCook CC vs. Luna (west field)

Noon – Trinidad State vs. Western Nebraska (east field)

Noon – Luna vs. Northeastern (west field)

2 p.m. – Western Nebraska vs. Lamar (east field)

2 p.m. – Northeastern vs. Otero (west field)

4 p.m. – McCook vs. Otero (west field)

THURSDAY RESULTS

All games canceled

GAME 1 -- McCook CC 6, Trinidad State 5: MCC went up 1-0 in the first on a leadoff single by Alexis Cortez, a double off the bat of Nevaeh Ogden (freshman, Littleton, Colo.) and an RBI-ground out from Ashland Baca (sophomore, Byers, Colo.).

Trinidad State tied the game in the second off MCC starting pitcher Avery O'Neil (sophomore, Ellsworth, Wis.). O'Neil pitched four innings, allowed two hits, no earned runs, two walks and five strikeouts.

The Lady Trojans went up 3-1 with two runs in the fifth inning off sophomore Anna Wilcox (sophomore, Victoria, British Columbia), who pitched three innings, allowed four hits, struck out one and allowed two earned runs.

MCC came back to tie the game 3-3 in the sixth inning on a Baca walk and a two-run home run from freshman Tyler Mooring (Santa Clara, Utah).

After Trinidad State scored a pair of runs in the seventh inning to go up 5-3, MCC was able to tie it up in the bottom of the frame. Ogden singled with one out and went to second on an outfield error. Rae VanMilligan (sophomore, Marion, Iowa) followed with a single to right and Ogden came home on the right fielder's error with VanMilligan moving on to third. Baca then tied the game on a single.

Moring pitched the eighth and allowed one walk and no runs and in the bottom of the eighth the pinch-hit double by Alyssa Winter set the stage for the walk-off, double by Cortez.

Cortez, Ogden, Baca and Mooring all had two-hit games for MCC.

GAME 2 -- McCook CC 24,  Lamar CC 1: Alexis Cortez continued the momentum from Game 1 leading off the top of the first inning with a solo home run to centerfield and MCC never trailed, scoring three runs in the first and 16 runs in the second.

In that second inning, the first 16 straight reached base including nine by hits, six by walks and one by an error.

MCC had 21 hits in the game including four by Tyler Mooring, three by Paige Smith (freshman Perth, Australia) as well as two-hit games by Cortez, Nevaeh Ogden, Sydney Erlandson (freshman, Woodbury, Minn.), Madisyn Simms (freshman, Port Moody, British Columbia), and Taylor Thein (sophomore, West Branch, Iowa).

Cortez, Ashland Baca and Smith all homered. Smith led MCC with four RBIs, Baca and Mooring both had three.

Avery O'Neil pitched the first two innings allowing two hits while striking out six. Anna Wilcox went the final three innings, allowing five hits, one run and striking out three. MCC pitchers didn't walk a batter.