Lady Indians win 30th game with Sunday sweep
SCOTTSBLUFF – The McCook Community College softball team picked up their 30th win of the season Sunday completing a four-game sweep over Western Nebraska, winning 10-0 and 7-1.
Of the 140 NJCAA Division I teams, the No. 25 Lady Indians are just one of eight teams in the nation with 30 wins so far this season.
“It’s not easy driving four hours and then playing a double header but we had great energy today,” said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall.”
MCC broke up a scoreless tie in Game 1 with three runs in the fourth inning and the Lady Indians put the game away in the seventh inning scoring six runs all with two outs to send starting pitcher Paige Warren to her 12th win of the year in the pitching circle. Freshman Hallie Schneider (Alliance, Neb.) had four RBIs and sophomore Audrey Reeves (Sterling, Colo.) went three-for four to lead the MCC offense.
“We had two solid pitching performances once again,” said Mendenhall. “We weren’t at our best offensively, but we did what we needed to do to win.”
Freshman Lyndsay Keogh (Surrey, British Columbia) hit a home run and freshman pitcher Hannah Schneider (Scottsbluff High School) didn’t allow an earned run in seven innings of work.
The Lady Indians outscored Western Nebraska 38-2 in the four-game series and committed two errors, and stole 14 bases.
“We did a very nice job defensively today. We limited the errors and took advantage of theirs,” said Mendenhall.
Western Nebraska goes to 3-7 in the region standings and 10-16 overall.
MCC improves to 15-1 to lead Region IX and 30-4 overall.
The Lady Indians will be home Friday and Saturday for another key Region IX matchup. MCC will play Lamar Community College with doubleheaders set for noon Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday at the Jaycees Sports Complex. The Runnin’ Lopes are 10-6 in Region IX play and 15-19 on the season.
GAME 1 – McCook CC 10, Western Nebraska 0: Paige Warren didn’t allow a hit until the third inning when Western Nebraska loaded the bases on a one-out double and back-to-back walks but Warren kept the game scoreless with a strikeout and a flyout.
MCC broke the scoreless tie in the fourth with a one-out single by freshman Brooklyn Gillen (McCook), then a two-out single by Audrey Reeves and an RBI-double by Kashlin Beck (Claflin, Kan.) and an RBI-single by Hallie Schneider with Beck scoring on the throw to put MCC up 3-0.
Beck doubled in the sixth and scored on an RBI-groundout by Schneider to make it a 4-0 MCC lead.
The Lady Indians put the game away with two outs in the seventh inning when eight straight MCC hitters reached base to score six more runs. Freshman Lyndsay Keogh (Surrey, British Columbia) started the two-out rally. Sophomore Marleigh Mitchell (Mission, British Columbia) singled in the first run of the inning. Reeves, Schneider and Warren all had RBI-singles to put MCC up 10-0.
Warren closed out the game in the seventh, to improve to 12-2 in the circle this season. She allowed just two hits, walked six and struck out five.
Reeves led the 12-hit MCC offense with three hits, Schneider had four RBIs. Keogh and Beck both had two-hit games.
GAME 2 – McCook CC 7, Western Nebraska 1: Lyndsay Keogh jump-started the MCC offense in the first with a two-out solo home run – her ninth of the year.
The Lady Indians used “smallball” to generate three more runs in the second inning with a leadoff walk by Marleigh Mitchel, singles by Audrey Reeves, Kashlin Beck, Hayley Smith (freshman, Chestermere, Alberta), a sacrifice fly by Lacyn Keller (freshman, McCook), and a single by Paige Warren to put MCC up 4-0.
Keller and Warren ignited the Lady Indians leading off the third inning with back-to-back singles. Both runners stole second base and Keller scored on an RBI-groundout by Josie Wright (freshman, Calgary, Alberta) and Warren scored on a sacrifice fly by Brooklyn Gillen, giving her team a 6-0 cushion.
After tossing a no-hitter against these Lady Cougars Friday in McCook, Western Nebraska finally scored an unearned run against MCC starting pitcher in the Hannah Schneider in the fifth inning, with an error leading to an RBI-double.
MCC got the run back in the seventh on a walk, an error and an RBI-fielder’s choice with Smith batting.
Schneider secured the win retiring three of the four batters she faced in the ninth. She gave up three hits in seven innings, walked one and struck five to improve to 9-1. For the series she allowed three hits, one walk, no earned runs and she struck out 12 in 12 innings pitched
Warren and Beck both had two-hit games by MCC and Smith had two 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