Lady Indians open softball season with Friday sweep

TONKAWA, Okla. – The McCook Community College softball team opened the season Friday with a doubleheader sweep over Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa winning 12-7 in the first game and 14-4 in five innings in Game 2.

“It’s always nice to start the year off with a win,” said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall. “In Game 1 we had a lot of nerves in the beginning and gave up some runs early but once the nerves calmed, we played really well.”

Sophomore Anna Elliott (Calgary, Alberta) was six-for-seven on the day with a double, two home runs and eight RBIs.

Sophomore Sadie Kahl (Calgary, Alberta) pitched the first three innings in Game 1 and picked up the win with help from a four-inning relief appearance by freshman Kaliyah St. Amand (Duncan, British Columbia).

Freshman Paige Warren (Victoria, British Columbia) picked up a win in the pitching circle in Game 2, smashed a three-run homer and two-run triple, finishing her day at the plate with four hits in seven at bats with double, triple, home run, two walks and five RBIs.

“Our pitchers did a nice job of competing in the zone and letting our defense work,” said Mendenhall. “Offensively we were pretty good in both games. The girls competed at the plate and made the adjustments needed.”

The Mavericks fall to 2-2 on the season.

The Lady Indians, 2-0, will travel to Enid Saturday to take on Northern Oklahoma College-Enid. The Jets started the season 0-4, with a pair of one-run losses to Weatherford College, a 4-3 loss to Paris Junior College and a 4-2 setback to Northeast Texas. 

Up-to-date information about MCC softball including livestream links, schedule, statistics, rosters, photos and more can be found on the MCC Athletics website, www.mccindians.com 

 

GAME 1 – McCook CC 12, NOC-Tonkawa 7: The Lady Indians got a leadoff double Paige Warren and got a one-out walk, but the rally was erased by a lineout doubleplay.

The Mavericks got a leadoff double and a sacrifice fly then a two-out error gave NOC-Tonkawa a second run and the next batter delivered a two-run double to give the home team a 2-0 lead.

MCC got on the scoreboard in the second with a two-run home run by Anna Elliott to make it a 4-2 game. In the MCC third, a pair of walks, a hit batter and a Maverick error gave MCC a run then Elliott doubled in two and an error on the play put the Lady Indians on top 6-4. NOC-Tonkawa tied the game 6-6 in the bottom of the frame with a two-out double.

After two outs in the MCC fourth, a Maverick error extended the inning and the Lady Indians seized control on the game with an RBI-single by sophomore Lexi Knapp (Berthoud, Colo.), a walk, a two-run RBI-single by Elliott and an RBI-single by

sophomore Rocio Mascorro (Brownsville, Texas) to make it a 10-6 MCC lead.

Sadie Kahl pitched one batter into the fourth inning before she was relieved by Kaliyah St. Amand. Kahl gave up six hits and walked three and picked up the win in her three innings of work. She struck out two and allowed three earned runs.

The Mavericks scored a run in the sixth to make it a 10-7 game.

With two outs in the MCC seventh sophomore Laila Gutierrez (Seminole, Texas) singled and freshman Payton Kinsley (Didsbury, Alberta) launched a two-run home run to centerfield for the final runs of the game.

St. Amand pitched the final four innings to pick up the save, allowing two hits, no earned runs, two walks and seven strikeouts.

Elliott led the MCC offense with three hits in four at bats with a double, homer and five RBIs. Warren and Mascorro both had two hits as MCC outhit NOC-Tonkawa 12-8.

 

GAME 2 – McCook CC 14, NOC-Tonkawa 4: After the Mavericks took a 1-0 lead, MCC scored five times in the second, led 5-3 in the fifth when they broke open the game scoring nine runs.

MCC starting pitcher Paige Warren surrendered a solo home run on her second pitch of the game but recovered and finished the inning with no further damage.

The Lady Indians opened the second with a walk and three-straight singles before tying the game on a dropped third strike. Freshman Haley Emmerson (Sterling, Colo.) singled in a run to give MCC the lead for good at 2-1 then Warren followed with a three-run home run to right field to put MCC ahead 5-1.

NOC-Tonkawa scored twice in the fourth with a two-run home run to make it a 5-3 game, but the Lady Indian offense responded in the fifth on a leadoff walk, reached on a Maverick score, went up 6-3 on an RBI-single by Sadie Kahl, and took a 9-3 lead on a three-run home run by Anna Elliott. A walk and a single set the stage again for Warren who tripled in a pair of runners and later came home on a two-run double by Paige Weiland, who scored MCC’s final run on a wild pitch.

Warren picked up to win in the circle pitching four innings, allowing three hits, two walks, and three earned runs. She fanned two. Freshman Olivia Moorhead (Hershey) closed on the game in the circle allowing one unearned run and one hit in her inning of work.

MCC outhit NOC-Tankawa 13-3 led by three hits from Elliott and two each by Kahl, Warren and sophomore Ayana Goodwin (Broomfield, Colo.).

MCC committed three errors in the game.