MCC Softball wins twice Sunday to complete series sweep

LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The McCook Community College softball team completed a four-game sweep over Luna Community College taking both ends of a Sunday doubleheader 8-5, 13-5.

"This was a very good weekend for the team," said MCC Coach Kevin Kaalberg. "We had 40 hits on Saturday and 30 hits on Sunday so offensively we were consistent all weekend."

MCC trailed 5-3 in the fifth inning Game 1 and came back to score a run in the fifth, two in the sixth, and two in the seventh to win 8-5. In the second game MCC gave up five runs in the first two innings but stretched a 7-5 lead in the third with four runs and added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings for the 13-5 win.

"Regardless of who you are playing it is difficult to beat a team four times in two days so very proud of this group," Kaalberg said. "Defensively much better this weekend and the pitchers threw well. We changed some things defensively and it paid off this weekend."

MCC improves to 15-13 on the season and 7-3 in Region IX play.

Luna Community College falls to 5-26, 1-10.

On Tuesday MCC begins a six-game swing through the Nebraska Community College Conference with a pair of games at Columbus against Central Community College at 1 p.m.

On Friday MCC returns home for doubleheaders against NCCAC foes Southeast Community College Friday at 1 p.m. and against North Platte Saturday at 1 p.m. Those are the Purple-Out games for epilepsy awareness.

For all the up-to-date information on MCC softball this season including, schedules, statistics, rosters and photos, please visit the official website of MCC Athletics at: https://mccookcc.prestosports.com/landing/index

Game 1 – McCook CC 8, Luna CC 5: MCC took the lead in the first with singles from Nevaeh Ogden (freshman, Littleton, Colo.) and a one-out RBI-single by Tyler Mooring (freshman, Santa Clara, Utah). Mooring later scored on an infield groundout to lead 2-0. Mooring was hit by a pitch to lead off the third inning, she later scored on an RBI-single off the bat of Sydney Erlandson (freshman, Woodbury, Minn.).

Luna tied the game in the third with three runs off MCC starter Avery O'Neil (sophomore, Ellsworth, Wis.) and came back to take the lead in the fourth with two runs off Anna Wilcox (sophomore, Victoria, British Columbia). O'Neil tossed three innings, allowed five hits, three earned runs and she struck out three.

Madisyn Simms (freshman, Port Moody, British Columbia) homered in the fifth inning to cut the Luna lead to 5-4.

Rae VanMilligan (sophomore, Marion, Iowa) homered to lead off the sixth inning to tie the game and a Rough Rider error let the go-ahead run come home.

Simms led off the seventh with her second home run of the game and third of the series to make it a 7-5 game. MCC added the final run on an Erlandson single, a walk and an RBI-single from Alexis Cortez (sophomore, Aurora, Colo.).

Wilcox picked up the win with four relief innings, allowing four hits, one earned run, and three strikeouts.

MCC had 15 hits in the game with three-hit games from Erlandson and Nevaeh Ogden (freshman, Littleton, Colo.) and two-hit games from Cortez and Mooring.

Game 2 – McCook CC 13, Luna CC 5: Tyler Mooring got MCC on the scoreboard with a two-run home run in the first inning but Luna responded to take the lead in the bottom of the inning with a three-run home run off MCC starter Paige Smith (freshman Perth, Australia).

MCC responded in the second with an RBI-single from Nevaeh Ogden to tie the game 3-3, followed by a three-run double from Alexis Cortez and an RBI-double from Ashland Baca to put MCC up 7-3. Luna scored a pair of unearned runs on the second to make it a 7-5 game.

Sydney Erlandson and Rae VanMilligan singled to lead off the fourth and after a Luna error, Cortez drove home the first run of the inning. After a bases-loaded walk to Alyssa Winter (freshman, Lexington) a two-out error allowed two more runs to score and gave MCC an 11-5 lead.

Smith clamped down keeping Luna off the scoreboard in the third and fourth. She went four innings, allowed six hits, three earned runs, and no walks. She fanned two.

Ogden delivered an RBI-single in the fifth to make it a 12-5 MCC lead and in the sixth Cortez and Winter singled and Baca drove home Cortez for the final run.

Avery O'Neil closed out the game in the pitching circle in the fifth with two strikeouts in a scoreless inning.

MCC had 15 hits including three each by Ogden, Cortez and Erlandson, and a two-hit game by Baca.