Cougars sweep MCC baseball in home finale

Western Nebraska Community College spoiled the regular-season home finale Friday for McCook Community College, sweeping the Indians 12-3 and 14-4.

"I've been around the game a long time and not sure I've seen a day like today," said MCC Coach Jon Olsen. "I know we have a really good team, but today it sure didn't go that way."

The Cougars took advantage of five MCC errors in Game 1 and outhit the Indians 11-6 and drew nine free passes on the way to a 12-3 win. MCC committed two first-inning errors in Game 2 leading to a 6-0 deficit they were unable to overcome.

"We dropped four pop ups that I don't know how that happened – twilight zone stuff – then we didn't make plays on the infield," said Olsen. "

MCC committed eight errors in the doubleheader leading to 10 unearned runs. MCC bats managed 13 hits on the day and only three extra-base hits – all doubles. Western Nebraska pitchers struck out 22 Indians between the two games.

"Offensively, we average 11 runs a game and today we just looked completely off at the plate," said Olsen. "I saw swings show up that haven't been there all year. It's the first day we didn't get after it at the plate."

MCC falls to 17-7 in the Region IX standings and 38-13 overall. First-place Northeastern Junior College swept their four-game set against Lamar and take a three-game lead over MCC in the standings with a 20-4 record (36-14 overall).

"Anything that could have gone wrong today did go wrong," said Olsen. "We just need to try and erase it and regroup."

The Indians, along with NJC have already clinched two of the six post-season tournament slots which will be May 6-9 at Pueblo, Colo. The top two teams receive first-round byes in a double-elimination format. The Region IX tournament winner would then host the four-team Western District playoffs starting May 14.

Western Nebraska improves to 14-10 in the standings and 22-29 overall.

MCC has five games left in the regular season – all on the road. On Monday the Indians travel to Colby for a non-conference game and wrap up the Region IX schedule in Beatrice Thursday and Friday against Southeast Community College with doubleheaders both days. The Bobcats are coming off a four-game sweep over Trinidad State and are 15-9 in the standings and 24-22 overall.

GAME 1 –Western Nebraska 12, McCook CC 3: The Cougars scored an unearned run in the first and added four more in the fourth to lead 5-0.

MCC scored a run in the home-half of the third on a sacrifice fly by Jakoby Hamer (freshman, Edmonton, Alberta).

After two outs in the fifth inning, Western Nebraska rallied for two runs to take a 7-1 lead and chase MCC starter Aviv Bobrov (Shekhanya, Israel) from the game. He pitched 4.2 innings allowed three earned runs on seven hits, five walks and nine strikeouts.

"I thought Aviv gave us everything he had in the tank but boy we didn't defend at all," said Olsen. "He probably threw eight innings of outs and got through maybe five."

After MCC scored a run on a Cougar error in the bottom of the fifth, Western Nebraska scored four runs in the sixth to lead 11-2. Sophomore Chaise Chabi (Sydney, New South Wales), pitched two-thirds of an inning, and was charged with four earned runs on two hits, two walks and a strikeout.

The Cougars added a final run in the seventh off freshman reliever Santiago Rodriguez (Okotoks, Alberta) who pitched the final 1.2 innings, allowing no earned runs on one hit, a walk and two strikeouts.

The Indians got a run in the seventh with freshman Kieren Cutler (Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador) singling and scoring on a pinch-hit double by freshman Matthew Botticelli (Edmonton, Alberta).

MCC committed five errors leading to five unearned runs.

GAME 2 – Western Nebraska 14, McCook CC 4: An MCC error opened the doors for Western Nebraska to score three unearned runs in the first inning and six runs total to lead 6-0.

After two outs in the second, freshman starting pitcher Mikah Targett (Sydney, New South Wales Australia) filled the bases with two singles and a walk and left the game. He lasted 1.2 innings and was charged with three earned runs on eight hits and one hit batter.

WNCC made it a 7-0 lead with a run in the third but MCC got that run back in the bottom of the inning with a pair of walks and a two-out RBI-single by Jacoby Hamer. The Cougars scored another run in the sixth to lead 8-1.
Sophomore Tobey Cassino (Arvada, Colo.) pitched 4.1 innings for MCC, allowing one earned run on four hits, four walks and four strikeouts.

The Cougars scored four runs in the seventh to lead 12-1.

MCC's only multi-run inning of the day came in the bottom of the seventh. After a Cougar error and a double by
Hunter Southey (Auckland, New Zealand), freshman Bunji Nakao (Auckland, New Zealand) doubled in two runs. With two outs, Nakao scored on an RBI-single by sophomore Corbin Lochhead (Vegreville, Alberta) to make it a 12-4 game.

WNCC added two more runs in the ninth. Freshman Justin Ackerman (Parksville, British Columbia) pitched the final three innings for MCC, allowing five earned runs on five hits, two walks and two strikeouts,

MCC was out-hit 17-8. Southey and freshman Owen Weales (Bowmanville, Ontario) both had two-hit games for the Indians.