MCC Softball wins Region IX regular season

The McCook Community College softball team sewed up the regular-season Region IX title Sunday sweeping Western Nebraska 10-1, 12-4. Both games went five innings.

With the wins, MCC claims the Region IX regular-season title and will host the Region IX tournament starting Thursday. Times and matchups for the double-elimination tournament will be decided in a coaches' meeting Monday night.

"I'm so proud of them. They've earned it and they've worked really hard," said MCC Coach Kevin Kaalberg.

MCC finished 21-9 against Region IX Division I opponents and won the title by three games in the standings over both Trinidad State and Otero Junior College. Overall MCC went 39-19.

After pushing back the games from Saturday to Sunday because of weather concerns, the coach gathered the team together Saturday for a short hitting session, mainly to remind everyone about the correct mental approach.

"They had the right approach yesterday and when we showed up today our mindset was 'we're not going to be denied," Kaalberg said. "It wasn't arrogant, it wasn't cocky, it was just 'we have a job to do.' And they came out and dominated for two games."

MCC applied offensive in the middle and late stages of both games to win out. In Game 1 MCC extended a 1-0 lead with four runs in the third and five runs in the fourth. In Game 2, MCC broke up a scoreless tie in the third with three runs and added nine runs in the fourth.

 "Sometimes we go in stretches where if a couple start hitting everybody starts hitting and that's what you want," Kaalberg said.

The coach cited sophomore Alexis Cortez who had two sacrifice flies in Game 1 and his cleanup hitter Ashland Baca who also drove home a run with a sacrifice fly in Game 2.

"We had a runner on third and they're not concerned about 'I have to get a hit' it was more like 'I have to get her home,'" Kaalberg said. "And those were great at bats."

The coach was also happy with his three pitchers, all of which saw action Sunday.

Avery O'Neil (sophomore, Ellsworth, Wis.) picked up the complete game win in the pitching circle in Game 1 and Tyler Mooring (Santa Clara, Utah) started Game 2 and went four innings and sophomore Anna Wilcox (Victoria, British Columbia) pitched the final inning.

"Avery O'Neil is getting stronger and in this long of a year, that's not easy to do," Kaalberg said. "Tyler Mooring is throwing really well right now and giving us a boost, and Anna Wilcox is always ready to throw, and it's nice to be able to have her come in and close games out for us."

Seven MCC sophomores were honored prior to Sunday's final regular season games. Sophomores included: Rae VanMilligan, Morgan Walter, Avery O'Neal, Alexis Cortez, Taylor Thein, Ashland Baca, and Anna Wilcox.

MCC will host the five team field starting Thursday, which also includes Western Nebraska, Trinidad State, Otero Junior College and Northeastern Junior College.

"To be able to play at home for regionals is nice because nothing is guaranteed. Any of the five teams can win it -- but we don't have to travel," Kaalberg said. "We're in year two of the program and we've won the regular season and that's the goal every year."

Trinidad finishes 18-12 and 26-25 overall. Otero Junior College is 18-12 and 31-25 overall.

Western Nebraska finishes at 17-13 and 24-28 overall while Northeastern Junior College is 17-13 and 30-23.

The bottom two teams in the region, Lamar (8-18, 13-34) and Luna (2-24 and 6-40) did not make the post-season tournament. Those two teams end the season with a four-game series in Las Vegas, N.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 10, Western Nebraska 1: MCC took a 1-0 lead on a one-out Taylor Thein (sophomore, West Branch, Iowa) double. She scored on fly ball off the bat of Alexis Cortez (sophomore, Aurora, Colo.).

MCC got three straight singles to start the third inning from Rae VanMilligan (sophomore, Marion, Iowa), Nevaeh Ogden (freshman, Littleton, Colo.), and Thein. Cortez drove in VanMilligan on a sacrifice fly, Ashland Baca (sophomore, Byers, Colo.) drove in two with a double, and Tyler Mooring made it a 5-0 game with a sacrifice fly.

Avery O'Neil held Western Nebraska scoreless until the Cougars pushed across an unearned run in the fourth to make it a 5-1 game.

MCC scored five runs in the fourth – all with two outs and a runner on first via a Cougar error. Ogden started things off with a single and stole second, Thein doubled home two, Cortez drove home Thein, then after two walks loaded the bases, freshman Madisyn Simms (freshman, Port Moody, British Columbia) singled home MCC's final two runs.

O'Neil picked up the complete game win in the pitching circle by allowing one hit, four walks and she struck out seven.

MCC had 10 hits in the game with three by Thein and two each by Ogden and Baca.

GAME 2 – McCook CC 12, Western Nebraska 4: MCC broke up a scoreless tie in the third with three runs. Rae VanMilligan and Taylor Thein singled in front of a two-run Alexis Cortez triple. Ashland Baca's sacrifice fly put MCC up 3-0.

After Western Nebraska responded with a run in the fourth, MCC broke the game open scoring nine runs. Key hits included a two-run single by Nevaeh Ogden, a two run single by Tyler Mooring, a three-run home run by Madisyn Simms, and a solo homer by freshman Cassidy Fife (freshman, Provo, Utah).

Mooring pitched the first four innings and allowed two runs on six hits, she didn't walk a hitter and struck out five. Anna Wilcox pitched the final inning, and allowed two runs on two hits and she struck out one.

MCC had 13 hits including two apiece from Thein, Cortez, Baca and VanMilligan.