Otero snaps MCC softball’s 10-game win streak with sweep

The Otero Junior College softball team snapped McCook Community College's 10-game win streak Saturday with a doubleheader sweep, winning the first game 11-7 and taking the second game 4-3.

MCC had a 4-0 lead in the first game and surrendered four runs to Otero in the fifth and sixth inning to hold off the home team. Otero never trailed in Game 2.

The Rattlers improve to 24-19 overall and 9-5 in Region IX.

MCC falls to 21-15 and 7-5 in the region.

The two teams are back at it with a Sunday doubleheader starting at 11 a.m.

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 – Otero JC 11, McCook CC 7: MCC took a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Freshman Nevaeh Ogden (Littleton, Colo.) led off with a single, advanced to third an error and stole home. Ashland Baca (sophomore, Byers, Colo.) had an RBI-groundout, Paige Smith (freshman Perth, Australia) had an RBI-single and Sydney Erlandson (freshman, Woodbury, Minn.) made it 4-0 on an RBI-single.

Avery O'Neil (sophomore, Ellsworth, Wis.) started in the pitching circle for MCC and kept the Rattlers off the scoreboard until they cut the lead in half with two runs in the third and added another in the fourth. O'Neil pitched four innings, allowed six hits, three earned runs, no walks and four strikeouts.

Otero muscled up with four runs in the fifth to lead 7-4. MCC responded with two in the bottom of the inning. Alexis Cortez (sophomore, Aurora, Colo.) led off with a double and scored on a one-out double from Madisyn Simms (freshman, Port Moody, British Columbia), who later cut the gap to 7-6 when she came home on an error.

The Rattlers scored four runs in the sixth inning of Tyler Mooring (freshman, Santa Clara, Utah). She allowed nine hits and eight earned runs in three innings of work, striking out one.

Baca hit a leadoff home run in the seventh to cap the MCC scoring.

MCC was outhit 15-10. Ogden, Cortez and Simms all had two hits each for MCC.

GAME 2 – Otero JC 4, McCook CC 3: The Rattlers never trailed tallying two runs in the second and one in the third.

Anna Wilcox (sophomore, Victoria, British Columbia) went four innings allowing two earned runs on six hits, one walk and two strikeouts.

MCC scored a pair of runs in the fourth. Ashland Baca walked and Madisyn Simms doubled to lead off the inning and Sydney Erlandson drove home the first run on a groundout to shortstop and Alyssa Winter (freshman, Lexington) cut the gap to 3-2 with a sacrifice fly.

OJC scored an unearned run in the fifth to lead 4-2. In the bottom of the inning, Alexis Cortez doubled home Nevaeh Ogden, who'd reached on a single.

MCC was unable to score in the sixth or seventh.

Smith pitched three innings in relief and allowed four hits, no runs, two walks and three strikeouts.

MCC was held to six hits in the game with two each from Erlandson and Cortez.