MCC sweeps Sunday games against Rattlers; split series

After losing twice to Otero Saturday, the McCook Community College softball team responded with a pair of wins Sunday to split the Region IX series. MCC won 5-3 in the opener Sunday and took the second game 11-3.

"The weekend is a perfect example of our mental approach to a game," said MCC Coach Kevin Kaalberg. "Saturday we were not engaged and didn't play with a sense of urgency or intensity but today we played as a team with intensity and enthusiasm."

Sophomore Ashland Baca (sophomore, Byers, Colo.) hit a pair of home runs in Game 1 as four pitchers combined for the win. MCC was down 2-0 in Game 2 but got a second-inning grand slam by sophomore Taylor Thein (sophomore, West Branch, Iowa) to take the lead for good and put the game away with a four-run fifth inning to claim the five-inning win.

"I'm proud of the kids for bouncing back and playing like they are capable of," Kaalberg said.

MCC goes to 23-15 and 9-5 in the region.

The Rattlers fall to 24-21 and 9-7 in Region IX.

On Tuesday MCC will host Northeastern Junior College in a pair of Region IX games starting at 2 p.m. On Wednesday MCC will travel to North Platte for a pair of games starting at 5 p.m. and on Friday Lamar comes to McCook for a four game series with the first pitch Friday at 1 p.m. and Saturday 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 – McCook CC 5, Otero JC 3: Otero took the lead with a run in the first but MCC responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Nevaeh Ogden (freshman, Littleton, Colo.) led the inning off with an infield hit. Alexis Cortez (sophomore, Aurora, Colo.) doubled to center to tie the game and Ashland Baca smashed a two-run home run to left to put MCC up 3-1.

Avery O'Neil (sophomore, Ellsworth, Wis.) started the game off from the pitching circle and held Otero scoreless in her two innings of work. She allowed two hits, no walks and she struck out two. Anna Wilcox (sophomore, Victoria, British Columbia) followed with two scoreless innings of her own in relief, she allowed one hit and struck out one.

MCC added another run in the fifth inning Baca's second home run of the game, this one a solo shot to put MCC up 4-1.

Paige Smith (freshman Perth, Australia) pitched two innings of relief and allowed one earned run in the sixth inning. She allowed two hits and struck out two.

Tyler Mooring (freshman, Santa Clara, Utah) doubled to lead off the sixth inning and scored on sacrifice fly off the bat off Smith to make it 5-3 game. Mooring picked up the save with an inning of relief, allowing one hit and striking out one.

MCC had nine hits in the game led by three each by Baca and Ogden.

GAME 2  – McCook CC 11, Otero JC 3: Otero took a 2-0 lead with a first-inning two-run homer off MCC starter Avery O'Neil, who allowed three hits and one strikeout in her two innings of work.

In the second inning, freshman Madisyn Simms (freshman, Port Moody, British Columbia) led off with a single and after two walks, Taylor Thein put MCC in the lead for good with her grand slam to left field.

The Rattlers came back off reliever Anna Wilcox in the third with a run to close the gap to 4-3. She pitched two innings, allowed three hits, and struck out one.  

Alexis Cortez led off the third with a single and made it a 5-3 MCC lead when she came home on an RBI groundout by Sydney Erlandson (freshman, Woodbury, Minn.). Simms later stole home to make it a 6-3 game.

Sophomore Rae VanMilligan (Marion, Iowa) led off the fourth with a single and later came home on a wild pitch to put the home team up 7-3.

Paige Smith pitched the fifth, allowed one hit, walked one and struck out two.

MCC put the game away with four runs in the fifth with help from two one-out Otero walks, an error, and consecutive singles by Nevaeh Ogden, Emma Pennala (freshman, Tri-Cities, Wash.), and Cortez.

MCC had 10 hits in the contest with three from Cortez, and two each from Pennala and Simms.