MCC Softball wins Tuesday games; lead Region IX standings

STERLING, Colo. - The McCook Community College softball team went on the road Tuesday and beat two Region IX opponents to stretch the lead atop the standings. MCC beat Western Nebraska 12-1 and came back to beat Northeastern Junior College 10-1 for the team's 10^th win in a row and 20^th win in the last 22 games.

"Today was a very good day for the team in all areas," said MCC Coach Kevin Kaalberg. "They continue to play together and trust each other on the field."

With a 17-5 record against Region IX teams, MCC leads the standings buy three games over Northeastern (14-8), four games over Trinidad State (13-9), four and a half games over Otero (14-11) and five games over Western Nebraska (12-10).

"Now can they continue to work and improve because other teams will be coming after them," Kaalberg said. "I'm very proud of them for how hard the play the game."

MCC takes the five-game season set with NJC 3-2 and still has a four-game series left with Western Nebraska in McCook on April 30-May 1. The top team in the standings will host the post-season tournament.

Western Nebraska won the first game of the day beating Northeastern, 5-2. All these games were makeup games postponed from the Region IX showcase March 5 in McCook.

On Wednesday, MCC is at Beatrice for a pair of Nebraska Community College Conference games with Southeast Community College. Those games are set to start at 1 p.m.

MCC is back in the region this weekend for a four-game series at Trinidad State Saturday and Sunday.  

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 mccindians.com.

McCook CC 12, Western Nebraska 1: Freshman Nevaeh Ogden (Littleton, Colo.) led off the first with a single and later scored on a double by Alexis Cortez (sophomore, Aurora, Colo.).

MCC took advantage of a pair of Western errors in the second inning and scored a run on an RBI-single by Ogden, an RBI-double by Cortez, and a two-run homer by sophomore Ashland Baca (Byers, Colo.) to take a 7-1 lead

The Cougars got a run in the second of MCC starter Avery O'Neil (sophomore, Ellsworth, Wis.) who left after two innings, allowing one run on one hit, no walks and three strikeouts.

Sophomore Rae VanMilligan (Marion, Iowa) hit a two-run home run in the fourth and MCC made it 11-1 with RBI singles by Cortez and Madisyn Simms (freshman, Port Moody, British Columbia).

Anna Wilcox (sophomore, Victoria, British Columbia) held the Cougars off the scoreboard in the third and fourth inning on one hit and four strikeouts.

MCC capped the scoring in the fourth with another home run by VanMilligan, this one a solo shot.

Paige Smith (freshman Perth, Australia) struck out the side in the fifth.

MCC outhit Western Nebraska 14-2 with three-hit games by Ogden, Cortez and Simms. Cortez and VanMilligan both drove in three runs.

McCook CC 10, Northeastern Junior College 1: MCC scored in three of the first four innings to take a 4-0 lead. Nevaeh Ogden (freshman, Littleton, Colo.) singled in the first and came home on an RBI-groundout by Ashland Baca. Ogden singled in front of a Taylor Thein (sophomore, West Branch, Iowa) home run in the third to put MCC up 3-0 and got a Paige Smith solo homer in the fourth to lead 4-0.

Thein led off the MCC fifth with a double and scored on a triple by Alexis Cortez. Freshman Tyler Mooring (Santa Clara, Utah) singled home Cortez and with two outs a bases-loaded walk by Rae VanMilligan gave MCC a 7-0 lead.

Avery O'Neil pitched five innings, allowed four hits, didn't walk a hitter and struck out eight.

Thein led off the MCC sixth with a solo home run, and after a Cortez double, Ashland Baca smacked a two-run homer to put MCC up 10-0.

Anna Wilcox pitched the sixth inning and allowed one run on two hits and two strikeouts.

MCC outhit NJC 14-8. Ogden and Thein both had three-hit games.

REGION IX DIVISION I STANDINGS

                               W-L     PCT.   OVERALL

McCook CC              17-5    .773    (31-15)

Northeastern JC       14-8    .636    (27-18)

Trinidad State          13-9    .591    (21-20)

Otero JC                  14-11  .560    (28-24)

Western Neb.           12-10  .545    (19-25)

Lamar                      8-18   .308    (10-34)

Luna CC                    2-19   .095    ( 6-35)