Lady Indians clinch post-season spot with Sunday split
SCOTTSBLUFF -- The McCook Community College softball team split a pair of games Sunday but it was enough to clinch the third seed for the Region IX Tournament.
MCC took the first game 11-1 but Western Nebraska scored a pair of runs with two outs in the sixth inning of Game 2 to pull out a 9-7 win.
Ella Covill-Marter held the Cougars to three hits in Game 1 to pick up the win for MCC in the circle.
“Ella cruised through Game 1,” said MCC Assistant Rachel Conroy.
Coach Mike Mendenhall was unable to make the trip because of illness.
“Game 2 was a battle, we tied it up in the sixth inning, but gave the lead right back to them. They competed and had great energy,” said Conroy.
With Sunday’s games MCC clinched the third seed in the Region IX Tournament. The Lady Indians will travel to Otero (the second seed) for a three-game series starting May 4. Trinidad gained the top seed and will host NJC in a first-round series. The winner of those two series advance to the Region IX championship the following weekend.
Western Nebraska finishes at 10-14 and 14-24 overall.
MCC completes the Region IX slate at 13-11 and 33-15 overall.
MCC will conclude the Nebraska conference schedule with four games on the road Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday MCC travels to Beatrice for two games against Southeast CC and goes to Central CC Wednesday for a pair of games.
On Sunday MCC travels to Colby for two non-conference games starting at 1 p.m. to wrap up the regular season.
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 – McCook CC 11, Western Nebraska 1: The Lady Indians broke on top 4-0 in the first on a leadoff single by freshman Angela Banzet (Surrey, British Columbia) a walk, a Cougar error, a sacrifice fly by
Lexi Knapp (freshman, Berthoud, Colo.), a two-run single by freshman Sadie Kahl (Calgary, Alberta) and a two-out RBI double by sophomore Brylee Dean (Gering).
Freshman Ayana Goodwin (Broomfield, Colo.) singled to lead off the second, Banzet bunted her to second base and sophomore Andie Suhai (Medicine Hat, Alberta) singled. With two outs Knapp drove in both runners to give MCC a 6-0 lead.
WNCC got on the scoreboard with a run in the third inning. The Lady Indians added two in the fifth on a leadoff single by Kahl and a two-run home run by freshman Anna Elliott (Calgary, Alberta) to take an 8-1 lead. It was Elliott’s eighth homer of the season.
MCC put the game out of reach in the seventh with three runs coming with two outs on a Western Nebraska error, an RBI single by Goodwin and a bases-loaded walk by Banzet.
Ella Covill-Marter (Queensland, Australia) picked up the win to go 13-5 on the season with her 14th complete game. She allowed a double and two singles, a walk and she struck out eight hitters.
MCC outhit Western Nebraska 13-3 with Goodwin leading the way with three, and two each by Elliott, Kahl, and Knapp.
GAME 2 – Western Nebraska 9, McCook CC 7: After the Cougars took a 2-0 lead in the second MCC tied the game in the third on a single by Ayana Goodwin, a stolen base a sacrifice fly by freshman Laila Gutierrez (Seminole, Texas) and an RBI-single by Lexi Knapp.
Goodwin’s RBI-double in the fourth put MCC up 3-2 but WNCC tied the game in the bottom of the inning with a home run then added four more runs with two outs to take a 7-3 lead.
MCC came back to tie the game in the sixth inning. Brylee Dean hit a solo home run then the Lady Indians got consecutive singles by Goodwin, Angela, Andie Suhai and a double by Gutierrez to knot the game 7-7.
Western took a 9-7 lead with a two outs in the sixth inning and retired the Lady Indians in the seventh to salvage the doubleheader split.
Sadie Kahl went the distance in the pitching circle, surrendering seven earned runs on 11 hits, a walk and three strikeouts.
MCC committed three errors. Both teams had 11 hits. Goodwin led MCC with three and Gutierrez had two.
