Indians win home-opener with sweep over Dawson

The McCook Community College baseball team opened the home schedule Sunday with a pair of wins over Dawson Community College. With game-time temperatures near 37 degrees for most of the day, the Indians won 10-5 and 10-0 (in five innings).

“I thought our guys did a good job today of concentrating on the day and the games,” said MCC Coach Jon Olsen. “Sometimes when you catch some cold weather, guys can use that as an excuse, but our guys just went about the day and didn’t complain.”

In Game 1 the Indians got key hits from a couple freshmen bats. Kon Yoshimura (Nagasaki, Japan) delivered a two-run single in the first inning and added a fifth-inning bases loaded triple. Kieren Cutler (Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador) doubled in three runs in a six-run first inning. Sophomore Aviv Bobrov (Shekhanya, Israel) pitched five innings to improve to 2-0 on the season

“Obviously we had a good start to the day in the bottom of the first of Game 1,” said Olsen. “I thought we were pretty locked in at the plate the majority of the day.”

In Game 2, sophomore left-hander Tait Anderson (Auckland, New Zealand) mowed down 10 Buccaneers in five innings in a game decided by the 10-run rule. Sophomore catcher Tyler Reyburn (Frederick, Colo.) paced the offense with two hits and two RBIs.

“Tait had a great start, I thought we defended well today too and that made a big difference,” said Olsen.

Dawson falls to 0-12 on the season. MCC improves to 7-1. The two teams will play another doubleheader Monday starting at noon at the Jaycees Sports Complex.

GAME 1 – McCook CC 10, Dawson CC 5: The Buccaneers got in the scoreboard with a first-inning double and came home on a balk called by starting pitcher Aviv Bobrov.

The Indians responded as the first seven hitters reached base on four singles and a hit batter. Kieren Cutler broke up a 1-1 tie with a three-run double. With two outs, Kon Yoshimura hit a two-run double to put MCC in front 6-1.

After Bobrov struck out the first two Bucs in the third inning, Dawson CC got a two-out single and a two-run home run to cut the MCC lead to 3-1. After two straight walks, a single and an outfield error made it a 6-5 game.

MCC reignited the offense in the fifth inning with a walk by Cutler, and back-to-back singles by freshman Hayden Galvin (Calgary, Alberta) and Chase Williams (sophomore, Brampton, Ontario) to load the bases for Yoshimura who tripled to put the Indians ahead 9-5. Yoshimura scored on an RBI-single by sophomore transfer Hunter Southey (Auckland, New Zealand) for the game’s final run.

In five innings of work, Bobrov allowed four hits, walked four, gave up four earned runs and struck out nine.

Freshman Nolan Jackson (Grimsby, Ontario) came on in relief in the sixth inning and after walking the first two hitters he faced, got a strikeout and an inning-ending double play. He also got a game-ending doubleplay groundout to end the game. In his two scoreless innings he walked three and struck out two.

“Aviv had a hiccup in the third inning, but then really buckled down in the fourth and fifth then Nolan came in and got a double play each inning to lock it down,” said Olsen.

Hitting in the ninth spot in the batting order, Yoshimura led MCC with three hits (two doubles and a triple) and five RBIs. Cutler drove in three runs with his two hits. The Indians also got two-hit games from Southey, freshman

Jakoby Hamer (Edmonton, Alberta) and sophomore Dalton Berg (Frederick, Colo.).

GAME 2 – McCook CC 10, Dawson CC 0: The Indians jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first inning with a two-run double by Dalton Berg, an RBI-single by Tyler Reyburn and a two-out Buccaneer error.

Jakoby Hamer singled to lead off the MCC third, Berg was hit by a pitch and Reyburn singled home Hamer. Freshman Matthew Botticelli (Edmonton, Alberta) followed with a two-run single to give MCC a 7-0 lead.

Freshman Owen Weales (Bowmanville, Ontario) led off the fourth with a single, advanced to third on an errant pick-off play and scored on a sacrifice fly by Hunter Southey.

Redshirt freshman Bunji Nakao (Auckland, New Zealand) had a one-out pinch-hit single in the fifth and made in 9-0 on three consecutive walks. Southey ended the game with an RBI-single to end the game on the 10-run rule.

Anderson improved to 2-0 on the season with the shutout. He allowed seven hits, no walks and fanned 10 Bucs.

MCC had nine hits in the game with two each by Reyburn and Weales. Reyburn, Southey and Botticelli all had two RBIs and Berg had the only extra-base hit for MCC, a double.

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