MCC Softball splits games with Western Nebraska

The McCook Community College softball team split two home games Friday against Western Nebraska on Sophomore Day. MCC prevailed 10-2 in Game 1 and lost the second game 4-3.

Freshmen Anna Elliott (Calgary, Alberta) and Lexi Knapp (freshman, Berthoud, Colo.) both homered in Game 1 to back the pitching of sophomore Ella Covill-Marter (Queensland, Australia).

“Ella pitched well Game 1,” said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall. “We had a lot of life early on and scored a bunch of runs, but late in game one going into Game 2 our bats went cold.”

Western Nebraska had a 4-0 lead in the seventh inning of Game 2 before MCC scored three runs but ended the game on the basepath.

“They battled at the end to make it a ball game,” said Mendenhall.

This was the final home game of the season for sophomores: Covill-Marter, Ava Martinez (Houston, Texas), Kalyn Jackson (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Graci Nelson (McCook),Andie Suhai (Medicine Hat, Alberta), Brylee Dean (Gering), and Student Manager Kaedin Waugh (McCook).

Western Nebraska goes to 9-13 in the Region IX Standings and 13-23.

MCC goes to 12-10 in the standings and 32-14. The two teams wrap up the Region IX schedule with a doubleheader Sunday in Scottsbluff.

Trinidad State leads the Region IX standings at 16-4, Otero is second at 16-8. Those two teams have clinched the top two spots in the post-season tournament. MCC is third at 12-10 and Northeastern Junior College fourth at 10-10. Western Nebraska is fifth at 9-13, Lamar sixth at 6-14 and Luna is seventh at 5-15.

NJC closes out the season Saturday and Sunday at Trinidad State

Trinidad and Otero will host the third and fourth-place teams for the post-season tournament in a three-game series to start May 4 with the championship series the following weekend.

MCC will conclude the Nebraska conference schedule with four games on the road Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday MCC travels to Beatrice for two games against Southeast CC and goes to Central CC Wednesday for a pair of games.

All the latest information MCC softball including up-to-date schedule and changes as well as statistics, rosters and photos can be found on the MCC Athletics website, www.mccindians.com

 

GAME 1 – McCook CC 10, Western Nebraska 2: After the Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first MCC batted through the batting order in the bottom of the inning to take a 6-1 lead. Freshman Laila Gutierrez (Seminole, Texas) doubled in the first run, Lexi Knapp (freshman, Berthoud, Colo.) singled in the second and sophomore Brylee Dean (Gering) drove in two with a double as a Cougar error made it a 5-1 game. Starting pitcher Ella Covill-Marter drove home the sixth run of the inning on an RBI-groundout.

MCC added four in the second on a Gutierrez RBI-single, a two-run home run by Knapp and a solo home run by

Anna Elliott.

Covill-Marter picked up the win in the circle going five innings, allowing six hits, one earned run, one walk and eight strikeouts.

 

GAME 2 – Western Nebraska 4, McCook CC 3: WNCC scored two runs in the second and held the 2-0 lead until the fifth inning when they scored and added another in the seventh.

Sadie Kahl (Calgary, Alberta) went seven innings for MCC, allowing three earned runs on 10 hits, two walks and six strikeouts.

“Sadie pitched very well,” said Mendenhall. “She kept us in the game and we had an opportunity to tie it but fell short.”  

Anna Elliott led off the MCC seventh with a single and with one out freshman Ayana Goodwin (Broomfield, Colo.) singled and Angela Banzet (freshman, Surrey, British Columbia) advanced both runners with a bunt. Andie Suhai singled both runners in and later scored on a double by Laila Gutierrez, but was called out for interference on the basepath on an infielder grounder that ended the game.

MCC had nine hits with Lexi Knapp the only player with two hits.