MCC Softball goes 2-2 in Otero weekend series

The McCook Community College softball team split a pair of Saturday games against Otero Junior College and finished the series with a 2-2 split.

On Saturday Otero took the lead in the first inning of Game 1 and never trailed in a 6-4 win. In Game 2, the Lady Indians scored four runs in the first inning and four more in the second to win 11-3 in five innings.

"In the first game we left too many runners on base," said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall. "We didn't have great situational hitting."

In Game 2, freshman Sadie Kahl (Calgary, Alberta) pick up the win in the pitching circle and also paced the offense with two hits and four RBIs. Sophomore Ella Covill-Marter (Queensland, Australia) who went seven innings in Game 1, pitched the final 1.1 innings in Game 2 and allowed no runs on one hit.

"In Game 2 our approach changed and we hit much better with runners on base," said Mendenhall. "Sadie came out and threw a lot better than the day before and Ella closed the door for us."

Otero goes to 16-19, and 11-5 in region play.

MCC was 23-7 and 5-5 in the region.

"Overall it was a good weekend. Of course, we want to win the series, but that was a tough Otero team," said Mendenhall. "We have a big week ahead of us with NJC and Lamar."

The Lady Indians travel to Sterling, Colo. Wednesday for a pair of games against Northeastern Junior College.

MCC returns to the Jaycees Sports Complex for a four-game series against Lamar with doubleheaders starting at noon Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday.

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 – Otero JC 6, McCook CC 4: The Lady Rattlers struck first with a leadoff home run in the first and added a second run in the third inning with a pair of singles, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly.

MCC got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third when sophomore Andie Suhai (Medicine Hat, Alberta) singled home Ayana Goodwin (freshman, Broomfield, Colo.) who led the inning off with a single.

OJC scored an unearned run in the fourth with two outs to lead 3-1 and scored two more runs in the fifth and one in the sixth.

Down 6-1 in the sixth inning, MCC loaded the bases with singles by Sadie Kahl, Anna Elliott (Calgary, Alberta) and a walk but MCC was only able to score one run, on a sacrifice fly by Goodwin.

Suhai powered a two-run home run in the seventh for the final runs for MCC.

Ella Covill-Marter pitched seven innings for the Lady Indians, allowing nine hits, five earned runs, two walks and eight strikeouts.

MCC outhit OJC 10-9. Kahl, Elliott and Suhai all had two-hit games.

GAME 2 – McCook CC 11, Otero JC 3: After the Rattlers scored a first-inning run, the Lady Indians responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning keyed by a two-run double by Sadie Kahl and a two-run single by Anna Elliott.

Back-to-back bases-loaded walks and a two-run single by Kahl put MCC up 8-1 in the second inning.

Otero added runs in the third and fourth inning to make it an 8-3 MCC lead but the Lady Indians scored a run in the fourth on an Ella Covill-Marter double and an RBI-single by sophomore Brylee Dean (Gering). A pair of walks and a Rattler error loaded the bases for Lexi Knapp in the fifth inning and she made them pay with a two-run double to end the game on the eight-run rule.

Kahl pitched the first 3.2 innings, and allowed one earned run on six hits, no walks and three strikeouts. She also paced the offense with two hits and four RBIs. Knapp drove in three.

Covill-Marter pitched the final 1.1 innings and allowed no runs on one hit.