Lady Indians split games with Northeastern JC

STERLING, Colo. – For the second straight-Friday, the first-place McCook Community College softball team faced off against the second-place team, and for the second-straight week ended the day in first place despite splitting with Northeastern Junior College. The Lady Indians downed NJC in the first game 6-2 and dropped the second game 3-2.

The Lady Indians, who re-entered the NJCAA Top 25 ratings this week at No. 25, got a complete-game win from sophomore Paige Warren (Victoria, British Columbia) in Game 1 and got a three-hit, two RBI-game from sophomore Kashlin Beck (Claflin, Kan.).

“We had great pitching performances and should have two wins,” said MCC Coach Mike Menenhall. “We couldn’t get anything going in Game 2.”  

MCC outhit the Plainswomen 10-6 in Game 2, but NJC got an early lead and never trailed and snapped MCC’s winning streak at 15 games.

“We need to do a better job of making adjustments at the plate,” said Mendenhall. “We competed until the end game two but just fell short.”

NJC goes to 4-2 on the season and 13-11 overall.

The Lady Indians go to 24-4 and 9-1 in the region.

These two teams will conclude their four-game season series Sunday in McCook with a 1 p.m. first pitch at the Jaycees Sports Complex

GAME 1 – McCook CC 6, Northeastern JC 2: The Lady Indians took a 1-0 lead in the third when Warren laid down a bunt single, stole second and came hoe on a two-out single by freshman Lyndsay Keogh (Surrey, British Columbia).

MCC added another run in the fourth with back-to-back leadoff singles by sophomores Audrey Reeves (Sterling, Colo.) and Kashlin Beck (Claflin, Kan.). Freshman Brooklyn Gillen (McCook) sacrificed both runners up a base and Reeves came home on an NJC error to make it a 2-0 MCC lead.

Freshman Josie Wright (Calgary, Alberta) led off the MCC fifth, stole second advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on an RBI- fielder’s choice from sophomore Marleigh Mitchell (Mission, British Columbia). Following a Plainswoman error, Beck singled in two runs and with two outs freshman Lacyn Keller (McCook) delivered an RBI-double to give MCC a 6-0 lead.

Northeastern JC scored an unearned run in the fifth and cut the deficit to 6-2 with a two-out triple and back-to-back singles before Mitchell, MCC’s catcher, gunned down a runner trying to steal to end the game.

Beck led MCC with three hits, Reeves and Keogh both had two. Beck and Keller both had two RBIs.

Warren improved to 10-2 in the pitching circle with the complete-game win. She allowed five hits, one earned run, two walks and struck out 10.

GAME 2 – Northeastern JC 3, McCook CC 2: The Plainswomen got a pair of two-out singles in the bottom of the first to go up 2-0 on sophomore starting pitcher Hannah Schneider (Alliance).

NJC got a one-out triple in the fifth and took a 3-0 lead on an MCC error.

MCC had got two runners on with one out in the fifth on a single and an NJC error, but the runners were stranded on first and second.

Trailing 3-0, MCC got on the scoreboard in the sixth with back-to-back singles by Josie Wright and Lyndsay Keogh. Wright scored on Marleigh Mitchell’s sacrifice fly. A single to centerfield by sophomore pinch-hitter Peytann Weiland (Aurora, Colo.) advanced freshman pinch-runner Malia Hilker (McCook) to second. Beck hit into a fielder’s choice. Freshman Hayley Smith (Chestermere, Alberta) hit a line-drive single back at the pitcher and Hilker held at third base but offensive interference was called on Beck running to second to end the inning.

With two outs in the seventh, MCC got consecutive singles from Paige Warren, Wright and Keogh to score Warren and send Wright to third but the Lady Indians couldn’t bring in the tying run.

Schneider pitched six innings, allowed six hits, two earned runs, no walks and she struck out one.

MCC had 10 hits with three by Wright and two each by Warren, Smith and Keogh.

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