MCC Baseball drops 5-4 decision to Kansas Wesleyan JV

SALINA Kan. – The McCook Community College baseball team dropped a 5-4 decision Wednesday on the road to the Kansas Wesleyan JV team.

Three early Indian errors led to two unearned runs.

“This was another frustrating, loss tonight,” said MCC Coach Jon Olsen. “We gave up a few early and just couldn’t fight all the way back.”

The Coyotes scored an unearned run in the first to lead 1-0. MCC tied the game in the third with a pair of walks and a sacrifice fly by freshman Cory Wouters (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), who also started the game on the mound.

Wesleyan took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third with a leadoff walk, an error, an infield single and a sacrifice fly. Wouters was tagged with the loss for MCC in his two-plus innings on the mound allowing two hits, one earned run, two walks and two strikeouts.

Sophomore Blake Benallo (Thornton, Colo.) pitched two innings, and allowed two hits, two earned runs with two walks and two strikeouts.

Kansas Wesleyan added to the 3-1 with two in the fourth and held the 5-1 lead until the MCC sixth when the Indians scored three runs on a two-out rally. Sophomore Jake Quinlivan (Sydney, Australia) walked to start the rally followed by an RBI-double by Blake Dale (sophomore, Riverton, Wyo.). Freshman Nathan Hutchison (Riverton, Wyo.) singled home Dale, sophomore Michael Quick (Oshawa, Ontario) followed with a single and Wouters singled home Hutchison to put MCC within 5-4.

The Indians were not able to string hits together in the final three innings.

Sophomore Zack Lane (Phoenix, Ariz.) kept the Coyotes off the scoreboard and off the basepaths in his four innings of relief. He faced 12 batters, retired them all with six on strikeouts.

“Lane was really, really good tonight. He kept us where we needed to be we just couldn’t land the big hit to tie or take the lead,” said Olsen.

The Indians outhit Wesleyan 9-4. Quick had three hits, Dale had a pair of doubles and freshman Maddox Shaver (Belleville Ontario) doubled and singled.

MCC goes to 5-13 on the season.

The Indians have moved up their schedule one day for the four-game set with Lamar Community College this weekend at home to start the Empire League schedule.

To try and stay ahead of the weather, doubleheaders are now set to start Friday and Saturday at 1 p.m. (instead of Saturday, Sunday).

This year, all doubleheaders between Region IX teams will start with a seven-inning game, followed by a nine-inning game. If the first game goes beyond seven innings, the second game becomes a seven-inning game.

The Runnin’ Lopes are 10-16.

All the latest information for MCC baseball 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