MCC Softball splits opening doubleheader

DODGE CITY, Kan. – The McCook Community College softball team opened the season Thursday splitting a pair of games against Dodge City Community College. MCC won the opener 7-5 at Legends Park and lost the second game 3-1.

MCC got a complete-game win from Kaliyah St. Amand (Duncan, British Columbia) in Game 1 and an RBI-double and solo homer from sophomore Payton Kinsley (Didsbury, Alberta).

“Our pitchers were outstanding today,” said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall. “We had a lot of nerves going into these games.”

St. Amand and Game 2 starter Paige Warren (sophomore, Victoria, British Columbia) allowed five combined earned runs, three walks and seven strikeouts over 12.2 innings.

In Game 2, with the score tied 1-1 in the sixth inning, the Conquistadores pushed across a pair of runs in their final at bat to gain their first win of the year.

MCC committed five errors in the doubleheader.

“Once we get going and get some games under our belt we will be just fine,” said Mendenhall.

This was the first time since 2020 the two teams have met. Dodge City now leads the all-time series 5-3.

The No. 13 Lady Indians will continue the season-opening Kansas trip in Garden City for a pair of games Friday, starting at 1 p.m. The Broncbusters are 2-0 with an opening-weekend sweep over Otero, 15-3, 15-6.

Up-to-date information about MCC  softball 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 

GAME 1 – McCook CC 7, Dodge City 5: The Lady Indians took command of the game early with four runs in the first inning and two more in the second.

Freshman Brooklyn Gillen (freshman, McCook) singled with one out in the first and scored on the second of three DCCC errors in the inning. With two outs, sophomore Audrey Reeves (Sterling, Colo.) delivered a two-run RBI single to give the Lady Indians a 4-0 lead.

After the Conqs scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, MCC answered with a leadoff single in the second from freshman Lacyn Keller (McCook). With two outs Payton Kinsley lined an RBI-double to left and Kaliyah St. Amand singled to put MCC ahead 6-2.

Kinsley popped a solo home run in the fourth to extend the lead to 7-2.

DCCC responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning on a triple, a single followed by a two-base error and a sacrifice fly. In the sixth, Dodge City scored a final run on a walk, a single and a two-out single.

St. Amand picked up the complete-game win in the pitching circle allowing 11 hits, one walk and four earned runs. She struck out five hitters.

MCC had eight hits in the game with two each from Kinsley, Reeves and St. Amand.

GAME 2 – Dodge City 3, McCook CC 1: Paige Warren walked to lead off the third inning, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat off Brooklyn Gillen.

Dodge City tied the score in the bottom of the third on three straight two-out hits.

With one out in the sixth inning, the Conquistadores scored what turned out to be the game-winning run off an MCC error, a wild pitch, a two-out double and back-to-back singles.

Dodge City outhit MCC 11-5 with all the Lady Indians’ hits of the one-base variety. Freshman Ellie Baca (freshman, Greeley, Colo.).

Warren pitched 5.2 innings, allowing one earned run on two hits and two strikeouts. Freshman Hannah Schneider (Alliance, Neb.) came on in the sixth to record the final out.

MCC had three errors in the game.