Indians split Saturday games with Southeast
The McCook Community College baseball team split a pair of games Saturday at the Jaycees Sports Complex. MCC took the first game 9-7. The Bobcats came back in Game 2 with two runs in the ninth inning to win 14-12. Southeast takes the four-game weekend series 3-1.
“I thought we competed at a much higher level today, we were a lot better at the plate,” said MCC Coach Jon Olsen.
Sophomore Cory Wouters (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) was three-for-seven on the afternoon with a home run and six RBIs while sophomore Maddox Shaver (Belleville, Ontario) was five for-six on the day with a homer and six RBIs.
“Cory and Maddox had really nice days,” said Olsen,
MCC pitchers walked 18 guys in the doubleheader and hit three more batters.
“We struggled a bit more throwing strikes over the weekend,” said Olsen. “It seemed like every time we gave up some free passes they took advantage and got some two-out hits.”
Both teams have already clinched two of the six spots in the Region IX tournament May 8-11 in Pueblo, Colo.
“We had a few knick-knack injuries that shuffled things around a bit but ultimately our spot for the region tournament was pretty much set going into the weekend so we were able to try and put ourselves in the best position going into that,” said Olsen.
Southeast finishes the season at 31-20 overall and leads the Empire League standings and 22-6. MCC is fourth and goes to 14-14 in the region. The Indians go to 27-28 on the season.
“I told our guys that I’m proud of them, we had a tough start to the year starting 3-10 and tough start to the league at 3-9 and to stick with it and play well the last month of the season says a lot about our guys,” said Olsen.
Pairings and times for the Region IX tournament will be announced following the final games, set for Sunday,
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
GAME 1 – McCook 9, Southeast CC 7: After the Bobcats took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, MCC came back with five runs in the second.
The Indians loaded the bases with a walk by freshman Chase Williams (Brampton, Ontario) a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Reyburn (freshman, Frederick, Colo.), a single by sophomore Owen Glover (Elderslie, New South Wales) and sophomore Maddox Shaver (Belleville, Ontario) was hit by a pitch. Sophomore Nathan Hutchison (Riverton, Wyo.) drew a walk for the first run, took a 3-2 lead on a passed ball and a wild pitch and scored runs on back-to-back two out singles by Cory Wouters and Dalton Berg (Frederick, Colo.).
Shaver hit a solo home run with two outs in the third to take a 6-2 lead.
Southeast scored a run with a double and a single to lead off the fourth inning and had back-to-back two-out hits to close the MCC lead to 6-5.
Wouters walked the leadoff batter in the fifth and left the game for freshman reliever Colby Kaplan (Parker, Colo.) Wouters went four innings, allowing seven hits and four walks with two strikeouts. After Kaplan walked the first two hitters he faced, Southeast scored two runs on back-to-back sacrifice flies to lead 7-6.
“Cory did a good job of keeping us in the game and Colby was really good for three innings to lock it down for us,” said Olsen.
Glover doubled to lead off the MCC fifth, and after a walk, two outs and a walk, the Indians scored three runs on a double by Wouters to lead 9-78.
Kaplan worked around a hit batter and a walk to keep the Bobcats off the scoreboard in the sixth and retired the side in order in the seventh to pick up the win. He allowed one earned run in three innings on no hits, five walks and no strikeouts.
MCC outhit SECC 9-7 with two hits each by Glover and Wouters.
GAME 2 –Southeast CC 14, McCook 12: Freshman Ben Heathcock (Little Elm, Texas) put MCC in the lead with a two-run RBI-single in the second inning and MCC went up 3-1.
Southeast wrestled the lead back with three runs in the third to lead 4-3. Cory Wouters hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the third and Maddox Shaver hit a two-run single to put MCC up 7-4.
The Bobcats scored twice in the fourth. Sophomore Leif Friedrich (sophomore, Surrey, British Columbia) pitched the first four innings, and allowed four earned runs on five walks and five hits with two strikeouts.
Owen Glover singled to lead off the MCC fifth and later scored on a two-out RBI single by Nathan Hutchison to put the Indians ahead 8-5.
SECC went back on top 10-8 in the sixth inning with a grand slam and a two-out solo shot off reliever Jean Duran (sophomore, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) who pitched two innings and allowed five earned runs on two hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
MCC leap-frogged back in the lead in the bottom of the sixth with three walks and a three-run double off the bat of Shaver to go up 11-10.
A walk and a two-run home run put the Bobcats up 12-11 in the eighth inning but the Indians tied the game 12-12 when freshman Carter Smith (Ottawa, Canada) grounded into a run-scoring fielder’s choice.
With two outs in the ninth, Southeast got a two-run home run for the final margin.
Freshman Parker Wilson (Tulsa, Okla.) pitched the final three innings, and surrendered four earned runs on five hits and two walks. He fanned three.
Shaver led the way with a four-for-five game and five RBIs. Carter Smith (Ottawa, Canada) Smith had a two-hit game.