Bullpen leads Indians to 30th win in Friday sweep
TRINIDAD, Colo. – The McCook Community College baseball team won its 30th game of the season Friday, sweeping Trinidad State Junior College thanks to a strong bullpen performance. MCC won 10-6 and 13-7.
“It was good to get the sweep today, both games were neck-and-neck until the last inning,” said MCC Coach Jon Olsen. “We had a one run lead in the seventh and ninth and broke both games open late to get some breathing room for the bottom half, but our bullpen was lights-out today.”
A pair of freshman relievers won both games, pitching 7.2 innings, allowing no runs on four hits, one walk and five strikeouts.
“Our starters kept us in both games, but the bullpen shined today,” said Olsen.
MCC broke up a 6-6 tie in the sixth inning of Game 1 with one run and freshman Kieren Cutler (Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador) hit a three-run home run in the seventh to give some cushion for reliever Nolan Jackson (Grimsby, Ontario) who pitched the final three innings to gain the win on the mound.
In Game 2, the Indians came back from a 6-0 first-inning deficit and broke up a 7-7 tie in the seventh inning as freshman Kon Yoshimura (Nagasaki, Japan) delivered a two-out RBI single and MCC added five runs in the ninth to make a winner of freshman reliever Santiago Rodriguez (Okotoks, Alberta) who pitched the final 4.2 innings.
“I’m super proud of how our offense stayed in the Game 2, after getting down 6-0,” said Olsen. “In both games we fought back, we have a good offense and we have a good enough competitive spirit to never think we’re out of the game.”
Trinidad State falls to 4-10 in the region and 11-30 overall.
MCC improves to 30-9 and goes to 11-3 in the Region IX standings, in second place. First place Northeastern JC (13-3) has already completed its weekend series winning three of four games at Las Vegas, N.M. against Luna Community College.
The Indians can tie the Plainsmen with two more wins Saturday in their doubleheader at Trinidad, which starts at 2 p.m.
GAME 1 – McCook CC 10, Trinidad State 6: The Trojans jumped out to a 4-0 lead with four runs in the second inning off sophomore starting pitcher Aviv Bobrov (Shekhanya, Israel).
MCC responded with four runs in the third to tie the game. Kon Yoshimura walked to lead off the inning followed by a single from freshman Owen Weales (Bowmanville, Ontario). Sophomore Tyler Reyburn (Frederick, Colo.) drove a run home on an RBI-groundout. Freshman Jakoby Hamer (Edmonton, Alberta) singled in Weales and sophomore transfer Hunter Southey (Auckland, New Zealand) hit a two-run homer (his eighth of the year) to tie the game 4-4.
After Trinidad took a 5-4 lead in the third, MCC took a 6-5 lead in the fifth with a one out single by Reyburn, an RBI-double by Hamer and a Trojan error. The home team tied the game 6-6 in the bottom of the inning with a run.
Bobrov pitched one batter into the fifth inning allowing eight hits and one walk in four innings, he was eventually charged with the game-tying run, and he struck out four hitters. The tying run scored with Nolan Jackson on the mound.
Sophomore Corbin Lochhead (Vegreville, Alberta) doubled to lead off the sixth inning and went to third on a passed ball and put MCC up 7-6 when he scored on an infield-groundout with Connor Charvat (Omaha, Neb.) batting. Kieren Cutler hit a three-run homer in the seventh to put MCC up 10-6. It was Cutler’s sixth home run of the year.
Jackson picked up the win, pitching three innings and improving to 5-1. He allowed two hits, no earned runs, one walk and one strikeout.
Weales, Hamer and Southey all had two-hit games for MCC.
GAME 2 – McCook CC 12, Trinidad State 7: Sophomore Raul Romero (Brisbane, Queensland Australia), who transferred from Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Fla., returned to the mound after missing the past three weeks with an injury. After TSJC loaded the bases in the first inning with two outs, five straight Trojans reached base and the home team took a 6-0 lead.
MCC got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning on a two-run home run by Kieren Cutler then took the lead scoring five runs in the fifth inning. Kon Yoshimura led off the fifth with a single and after a Trojan error and a fielder’s choice, Jacoby Hamer drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, Dalton Berg singled in a run and Hunter Southey singled in two runners to tie the game and with two outs, Corbin Lochhead tripled home Southey to give the Indians the lead, 7-6.
After a rough first inning, Romero responded to keep Trinidad scoreless in the second, third and fourth innings and departed the game three batters into the fifth after giving up a leadoff single, striking out the second hitter and waking the final batter he faced. Santiago Rodriguez came on in relief and gave up the lead on a sacrifice fly to tie the game 7-7. Romero pitched 4.1 innings, allowed five hits, walked four and struck out for hitters.
“Raul came back after his first inning and really threw great getting the ball to the fifth inning,” said Olsen. “After being out a couple weeks, his control was a little off in the first but then he settled in.”
Southey led off the seventh with a single and with two outs scored on an RBI-single from Yoshimura.
After neither team scored in the eighth inning, MCC put the game away, scoring five runs in the ninth with two outs. Sophomore Chase Williams (Brampton, Ontario) had a pinch-hit single, Connor Charvat singled and Yoshimura tripled in both runners to lead 10-7. Owen Weales and Tyler Reyburn had back-to-back RBI singles and Hamer doubled in a run to cap the scoring.
Santiago (2-1) picked up the win in relief, pitching the final 4.2 innings, allowing no runs on two hits, no walks and striking out four.
MCC pounded out 15 hits led by three each from Yoshimura and Hamer and two each by Berg and Southey.
Up-to-date information about MCC baseball 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