Indians falter late in loss at Dodge City
DODGE CITY, Kan. – The McCook Community College baseball team battled Dodge City on even terms from much of the game Tuesday but surrendered six runs in the eighth inning in a 13-7 loss at Cavalier Field.
“This is the fifth time we’ve given up a big crooked number in the last inning or the next to last inning of the game,” said MCC Coach Jon Olsen. “And it’s a team effort, not throwing strikes, giving up multiple hits in a row, not making plays defensively.”
After MCC had battled back from a 7-4 deficit with two runs in the top of the eighth, the Conquistadors broke the game in their final at bat sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring their six runs on just three three singles. The rally was aided by two MCC errors, two walks, two hit batters and two wild pitches.
“It’s just super frustrating, we have got to figure end of games out and get tougher mentally,” said Olsen. “When we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance but right now that’s where we need to see a big improvement,”
The Kansans started the game capitalizing on an MCC mistake taking a 1-0 lead on an unearned run in the first inning, but MCC responded with two in the second. Freshman Dalton Berg (Frederick, Colo.) lined a right-field double to start of the Indian second and after back-to-back walks, freshman Connor Charvat (Elkhorn South) singled home Berg and freshman Landon McKillip (Lamoni, Iowa) drove home the second run on a fielder’s choice to put MCC up 2-1.
Dodge City wrestled the lead back in the bottom of the second with two singles off MCC starting pitcher Leif Friedrich (sophomore, Surrey, British Columbia) then scored both runners on an infielder groundout to lead 3-2. The Conqs pushed a run across in the third on a hit batter, two singles and a sacrifice fly.
The Indians closed the deficit to 4-3 with a solo home run with two outs in the fifth by freshman Carter Smith (Ottawa, Canada). Dodge City scored twice in the sixth inning on an MCC error, two singles and a stolen base to go ahead 6-3.
Friedrich pitched six innings, allowing four earned runs on nine hits, two walks and three strikeouts.
Freshman Tyler Reyburn (Frederick, Colo.) singled to lead off the MCC seventh and scored on an RBI-single by McKillip to make it a 6-4 game.
Dodge City greeted reliever Elvis Conte (freshman, Fort Collins, Colo.) with a solo homer to lead off the seventh, but Conte kept the Conquistadors from any scoring that inning.
Berg singled to lead off the MCC eighth. After a single by sophomore Maddox Shaver (Belleville, Ontario) a Dodge City error allowed Berg to score, then with two outs Shaver came home on a wild pitch to close the MCC deficit to 7-6.
That’s when the game got out of hand. Dodge City’s first three hitters in the bottom of the eighth inning faced 1-2 counts but two reached on two singles and the other was hit. The fourth was in an 0-2 count and singled on a 1-2 count. Then came two walks, the second error of the inning, a hit batter and a wild pitch.
“Not sure how we can take a 7-6 game in the bottom of the eighth where we’ve put ourselves in position to try and go get a win against a quality opponent and give up a six-run inning,” said Olsen.
Reliever Kayden Frizzell (freshman, Littleton, Colo.) finished the game on the mound allowing one unearned run on one walk in his inning of work.
Smith lined a one-out triple in the ninth and came home on a single by sophomore Cory Wouters (sophomore Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) but the was the extent of the offense in the final at bat.
The Indian offense had nine hits with Berg and Smith having two each. MCC committed five errors on the day.
Dodge City improves to 13-6 on the year.
MCC is 7-11 and the team will continue their southern road trip Wednesday with a pair of games in Alva, Okla. against Northwestern Oklahoma State JV starting at noon. On Thursday the Indians travel to Oklahoma City for a game against Southwestern Christian JV.
“We have another three games in the next two days so need to get back at it tomorrow,” said Olsen.
MCC’s next home games will be March 27 when they play a Region IX doubleheader against Western Nebraska starting at 1 p.m.
For all the latest information about MCC baseball including schedule and schedule changes, livestream links, statistics, rosters, photos and more please visit the MCC Athletics website, www.mccindians.com