MCC Softball win streak ends; splits Saturday doubleheader

TRINIDAD, Colo. – Region IX leading McCook Community College continued their winning ways here Saturday piling up 24 runs in the first game of a doubleheader but Trinidad State came back to win the second game 12-4.

The Game 2 loss ended MCC's 13-game win streak.

MCC came out to start the four-game series scoring 10 runs in the first inning and banged out 22 hits in a 24-15 win in Game 1. Ashland Baca (sophomore, Byers, Colo.) had two home runs and a double and drove in eight runs and sophomore Alexis Cortez (Aurora, Colo.) had five hits, scored five times and drive in five runs.

Trinidad led 3-1 in Game 2 and scored five runs in the fourth and put the game away in five innings with four runs in the fifth.

MCC goes to 34-16 and 18-6 in Region IX play.

Trinidad State goes to 22-23 and 14-10 in the region standings.

The two teams will wrap-up their five game season series with another double header 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

GAME 1 – McCook CC 24, Trinidad State 15: Ashland Baca powered a first-inning grand slam and MCC never trailed, adding six more runs in the inning.

Two straight errors by MCC in the bottom of the inning opened the door for the Trojans who scored four times but MCC got those four runs back in the second capped by a two-run Baca double to go up 14-4.

Sophomore Rae VanMilligan (Marion, Iowa) kept the MCC offense churning with a two-run single in the third, Alexis Cortez (sophomore, Aurora, Colo.) line a two-out single to make it a 17-4 game and Baca powered a three-run homer to right field to make it a 20-4 MCC lead.

TSJC got a two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the third to make it 20-7 and MCC added four more runs in the fourth. Nevaeh Ogden (freshman, Littleton, Colo.) and Cortez delivered RBI-singles and with two outs freshman Sydney Erlandson (Woodbury, Minn.) singled in two more to make it 24-7.

Trinidad got a grand slam in the fourth and added two more runs and added two in the fifth but the game ended on the eight-run rule.

MCC had 22 hits in the game with five hits by Cortez, who scored five times and drive in five runs. MCC also got four-hit games by Ogden and Baca, who drove in eight runs.

Avery O'Neil (sophomore, Ellsworth, Wis.) pitched two innings and allowed no earned runs. Anna Wilcox (sophomore, Victoria, British Columbia) and Paige Smith (freshman Perth, Australia) went a combined three innings and allowed 12 hits and 10 earned runs.

GAME 2 – Trinidad State 12, McCook CC 4: MCC took the lead in the first inning on a leadoff double by Nevaeh Ogden who scored on a two-out single by Madisyn Simms (freshman, Port Moody, British Columbia).

The Trojans took the lead for good on a three-run home run in the second of Avery O'Neil.

Tyler Mooring (freshman, Santa Clara, Utah) led of the MCC fourth with a single and pinch runner Emma Pennala (freshman, Tri-Cities, Wash.) came home on a double by Rae VanMilligan to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Trinidad State scored five times in the fourth to chase O'Neil from the pitching circle. She went 3.1 innings, and allowed seven hits, eight runs, three walks and three strikeouts.

Anna Wilcox relieved O'Neil and went 1.1 innings and allowed five hits and four runs as Trinidad scored four runs to end the game.

MCC had nine hits in the game with two each by Mooring and Alexis Cortez.