Lady Indians sweep Bobcats; take over NCCAC lead

BEATRICE – The McCook Community College softball team capped a six-game weekend road trip Sunday with a doubleheader sweep over Southeast Community College. The Lady Indians won 21-3 and 17-2 in a battle for first place in the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference.

The Bobcats came into Sunday’s games with a 4-0 mark in the Nebraska Conference, but MCC (2-0 in conference play) made quick work of the Bobcats taking both games by the 10-run rule in five innings.

“We were locked in at the plate today,” said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall. “I was not expecting that performance from us today after already playing four games this weekend.”

MCC got three home runs and smashed out 20 hits in Game 1. Sophomore Paige Warren (Victoria, British Columbia) went four-for-five with four runs scored and three RBIs. Sophomore Ayana Goodwin (Broomfield, Colo.) was four-for-four with four runs scored. Freshman Payton Kinsley (Didsbury, Alberta) knocked in five runs with a home run and a double. Freshman Peytann Weiland (Aurora, Colo.) homered and singled with three RBIs and sophomore Anna Elliott (Calgary, Alberta) homered and singled twice with four RBIs.

In Game 2, the Lady Indians pounded out 17 hits with two round-trippers, led by a four-for-four game from sophomore Angela Banzet (Surrey, British Columbia). Laila Gutierrez (sophomore Seminole, Texas) had three hits including a grand slam and seven RBIs. Elliott drove in three on two hits including her second home run of the day and eighth on the season.

“Not only did we have 37 hits in two five-inning games we only had one error,” said Mendenhall.  

The Bobcats go to 11-8 and 4-2 in the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference.

MCC improves to 14-4 and 4-0 in the Nebraska conference.

After 18 games on the road to start the season, the Lady Indians will be at the Jaycees Sports Complex Wednesday for the home opener with Dakota College at Bottineau (1-7). First pitch is at noon.

“I am super proud of these girls going 14-4 on the road to start the season,” said Mendenhall. “If we can be performing on all cylinders leading into region games, we are going to be a very tough team to beat.”

Region IX play begins Friday in Sterling, Colo. with a pair of games against the Plainswomen. Those two teams will play in McCook Sunday, March 16, starting at 1 p.m.

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 21, Southeast 3: The Lady Indians struck for three first inning runs keyed by an RBI double from Payton Kinsley. In the second she doubled the score hitting a three-run home run to give MCC a 6-0 lead.

Southeast scored twice in the second but MCC responded with nine runs in the third. Peytann Weiland put MCC up 9-2 with her three-run homer. Anna Elliott smashed a two-run homer to extend the lead to 14-2 and a Bobcat error with the bases loaded made it a 15-2 game.

The Lady Indians added six more runs in the fifth. Ayana Goodwin led off the inning with a double and scored on an RBI-single from Kashlin Beck (freshman, Claflin, Kan.). Paige Warren doubled in two runs and Elliott singled in two more to give MCC a 21-2 lead.

Sophomore Lexi Knapp (Berthoud, Colo.) pitched 4.1 innings, allowing one earned run on six hits, three walks and four strikeouts. Freshman Olivia Moorhead (Hershey) pitched the final two-thirds of an inning to close out the game with a strikeout.

MCC outhit SECC 20-6. Warren went four-for-five with four runs scored and three RBIs. Goodwin was four-for-four with four runs scored. Elliott had three hits and four RBIs. Kinsley knocked in five runs with her two extra-base hits and Weiland homered and singled with three RBIs

GAME 2 – McCook 17, Southeast CC 2: The Lady Indians continued the offensive momentum scoring five runs on RBI-hits from Lexi Knapp, Anna Elliott and freshman Cassidy Fenske (Gibbons, Alberta), along with steals of home by Elliott and Fenske.

Elliott added to the 5-0 lead with a two-run home run to start a seven-run second inning. Banzet singled in a run to make it 8-0 and Gutierrez cleared the bases with a grand slam to put MCC up 12-0. An inning later Gutierrez walked with the bases loaded to make it a 13-0 game.

Paige Warren pitched the first three innings for MCC allowing no walks and one hit while striking out three. Freshman Olivia Moorhead (Hershey) pitched the final two innings, allowing a two-run homer in the fourth then closing out the game in the fifth. She went two innings allowing the two runs on three hits, no walks and two strikeouts.

MCC scored four times in the fifth. Sophomore Kendree Kern (LaSalle, Colo.) doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a Warren single. Gutierrez doubled in two runs and the Lady Indians closed out the scoring on a Bobcat error.

The Lady Indians had 17 hits led by a four-for-four game from Banzet, three from Gutierrez who knocked in seven runs and two hits and three RBIs from Elliot.

NEBRASKA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ATHLETIC CONFERENCE STANDINGS
                        W-L    PCT    OVERALL
McCook           4-0   1.000     14-4
Southeast        4-2    .667      11-8
Central CC      2-2    .500       5-7
North Platte     0-6    .000      0-10

NCCAC RESULTS SUNDAY
McCook 21, Southeast CC 3 (at Beatrice)

McCook 17, Southeast 2 (at Beatrice)

Central 11, North Platte 1 (at Columbus)

Central 8, North Platte 6 (at Columbus)

UPCOMING NCCAC GAMES FOR MCC

March 26 – North Platte at McCook, 2 p.m., 4 p.m.

April 2 – Central CC at McCook, 1 p.m., 3 p.m.

April 9 – Southeast CC at McCook, 2, 4 p.m.

TBA -- MCC at Central CC (at Columbus)