Bobcats win twice over MCC Softball
BEATRICE – The McCook Community College softball team dropped a pair of 10-2 decisions Tuesday to Southeast Community College.
In Game 1 The Bobcats scored five runs in the first inning and added three in the second and rolled to a 10-2 win in five innings.
MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall was unable to make the trip due to illness. Assistant Rachel Conroy said with the Lady Indians eyeing the Region IX tournament starting May 4, the team decided to rest some pitchers and two players saw their first action in the pitching circle this season.
“We went to Sadie Kahl first and then completely switched things up,” said Conroy. “Ava Martinez was a bullpen pitcher for us last season and did a great job coming in when we needed her. We just didn't get it done at the plate to back her up.”
Southeast duplicated the formula in Game 2 with four first-inning runs then added two runs in the third, fourth and fifth to win in five innings.
“We had some more switches in the circle,” said Conroy. “Laila Gutierrez stepped in and again, we just couldn't make it happen at the plate.”
Southeast improves to 16-19 and clinches the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference with a 6-2 mark.
MCC goes to 33-17 and 2-4 in the NCCAC. The Lady Indians will be in Columbus Wednesday to wrap up the Nebraska conference schedule taking on Central Community College at 1 p.m.
On Sunday MCC was scheduled to close out the regular season in Colby, but those games have been cancelled.
The Lady Indians are one of four Region IX teams that qualified for the post-season tournament, gaining the No. 3 seed and will travel to La Junta, Colo. to take on second seed Otero Junior College in a three-game series starting May 4. The winner of that series will play for the Region IX championship against the winner of the series between top-seeded Trinidad State and fourth seeded Northeastern Junior College.
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 – Southeast CC 10, McCook CC 2: Freshman Angela Banzet (Surrey, British Columbia) singled to lead off the game, stole second and came home on an RBI-groundout with freshman Sadie Kahl (Calgary, Alberta) batting.
Southeast scored five times in the first on four singles, a walk and a hit batter and added three in the second to lead 8-1.
Rocio Mascorro (Brownsville, Texas) doubled in a run in the third but SECC put the game away on the eight-run rule with two runs in the fifth
Kahl pitched two innings and gave up six earned runs with a walk and three strikeouts. Sophomore Ava Martinez (Houston, Texas) pitched 2.2 innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits and a walk.
The Bobcats outhit MCC 13-4 with the Lady Indians committing three errors.
GAME 2 – Southeast CC 10, McCook CC 2: Southeast scored four runs in the first off freshman Laila Gutierrez (Seminole, Texas), making her first start of the season in the pitching circle.
The Lady Indians came back with two in the second. Freshman Kaylee Smith (Calgary, Alberta) singled with one out followed by a fielder’s choice groundout with Haylee Anguiano (freshman, Abilene, Kan.) batting. With two outs Ayana Goodwin (Broomfield, Colo.) singled and MCC executed a double steal for the first run. Goodwin later stole third base and scored on a passed ball.
Southeast scored two runs with two outs in the third to lead 6-2 and added two runs in the fourth and ended the game with two runs in the fifth inning.
Gutierrez went 3.2 innings, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits, four walks and two strikeouts. Ava Martinez pitched the final one-third of an inning allowing two earned runs on two hits.
MCC had six hits with two by Goodwin.
