Lady Indians take two from Tigers
GOODLAND, Kan. – The McCook Community College softball team swept a pair of games Monday against Fort Hays Tech Northwest taking down the Tigers 16-0 and 12-2, both games were shortened to five innings.
“It was a good day all around,” said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall. “Our pitchers threw really well and we hit the ball around the park.”
In the opening game, MCC scored five runs in the first and second innings and added six in the third. Sophomore Peytann Weiland (Aurora, Colo.) had three hits and four RBIs to lead the offense and freshman pitchers Hannah Schneider (Alliance, Neb.) and Hayley Smith (Chestermere, Alberta) combined on a four-hit shutout at the Tiger Softball Complex.
In Game 2 Hershey sophomore Olivia Moorhead, picked up a complete-game win from the pitching circle/ Freshman Malia Hilker (McCook) led a 12-hit attack with a triple and two singles. She was five-for-six in the doubleheader.
“It was nice to several players in the lineup that haven’t seen the field much,” said Mendenhall. “They were ready to take their opportunity and did a nice job.”
Fort Hays Tech Northwest falls to 1-7 on the season. MCC improves to 13-3.
The Lady Indians will begin Region IX play this weekend with a pair of games at Trinidad State (2-12). The two teams will play a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. with Sunday’s games starting at noon.
MCC’s next home games will March 10 against Dakota College-Bottineau starting at 2 p.m. at the Jaycees Sports Complex.
GAME 1 – McCook CC 16, Fort Hays Tech 0 (5 innings): The Lady Indians took advantage of three first-inning walks and scored the first of five runs on an RBI-groundout by Peytann Weiland, added two runs on an RBI-double by freshman Danika Vandermeer (Sylvan Lake, Alberta), got an RBI groundout by Tatum Ross (sophomore transfer, Frederick, Colo.) and made it 5-0 on a passed ball.
MCC added five more in the second inning. Sophomore Paige Warren (Victoria, British Columbia) led off with a bunt single, scored on an RBI-groundout by Olivia Moorhead. Malia Hilker singled in a run, Weiland tripled home Hilker and Ross made it 10-0 with an RBI-single.
Ten hitters batted in the third with MCC adding six more runs on two hits, two walks, one hit batter, and two errors. Hilker had a single in the inning and Weiland had the big hit with a two-run double.
Hannah Schneider pitched the first three innings for the Lady Indians. She allowed two hits and struck out three. Hayley Smith pitched the fourth and fifth innings and allowed two hits and struck out one.
MCC had 11 hits in the game led by three by Weiland with four RBIs. Warren and Hilker had two-hit games and Ross had three RBIs.
GAME 2 – McCook CC 12, Fort Hays Tech 2 (5 innings): The Lady Indians took a 4-0 lead in the first on a leadoff triple by Malia Hilker and a Tiger error. Sophomore Kashlin Beck (Claflin, Kan.) tripled in two runs and scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Olivia Pollon (Tisdale, Saskatchewan).
Lyndsay Keogh (freshman, Surrey, British Columbia) singled two runs in the second to put MCC up 6-0.
Olivia Moorhead started in the pitching circle and twirled two scoreless innings before the Tigers scored a pair of unearned runs in the third to close the deficit to 6-2.
MCC responded with five runs in the fourth inning. Hilker led off with a single, stole second, scored on an error. Weiland singled in a run and Beck and Pollon had back-to-back doubled to make it a 10-2 game. Moorehead drove in the final run of the inning with an RBI-hit.
The Lady Indians committed two errors in the bottom of the fourth, but Moorhead was able to pitch out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the lead at 11-2. The Lady Indians added a final run in the fifth on a two-out Tiger error.
Moorhead picked up the complete-game win allowing four hits, no earned runs, one walk and four strikeouts.
MCC had 12 hits in the game with Hilker leading the way with three. Keogh, Beck and Weiland all had two hits. Pollon led MCC with three RBIs.
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