Lady Indians win fifth straight; sweep Western Nebraska

Lady Indians win fifth straight; sweep Western Nebraska

The McCook Community College softball team made it three walk-off wins at home this week and went on to sweep Western Nebraska Thursday by the scores of 9-8, 8-3. The win gives MCC a five-game winning streak.

"These were quality wins today, we had good pitching and continue to swing the bats throughout the lineup," said Coach Kevin Kaalberg. "The team isn't lettingone bad inning get them down."

Freshman Kaitlyn Lord, (Colorado Springs, Colo.) delivered the walk-off RBI single in Game 1 and smacked out five hits in seven at bats on the day with seven RBIs a double and a home run. Freshman Kristen Mogan, (Richfield, Utah) was seven-for-eight with a pair of doubles and four RBIs.

Sophomore pitcher Karleigh Kleinknecht, (Cozad/Gothenburg High School) pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless relief to pick up the Game 1 win and went the distance in Game 2 to win twice on the day. Her sister Kaitlyn Kleinknecht, (freshman, Cozad/Gothenburg High School) went four for six on the day with a double.

Western Nebraska falls to 4-10. This was their Region IX conference action of the season.

MCC improves to 10-12 and 3-3 against Region IX south teams. Weather permitting, the Lady Indians are scheduled to host Northeastern Junior College Saturday at 1 p.m.

You can stay up to date with all MCC Indian Athletics including up-to-date scheduling changes, live-streaming games, news, photo galleries and more at MCC Indians Athletics web page at:
https://mccindians.com/index.aspx?tab=softball&path=softball

For more photos from today's game please visit the McCook Community College Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/MPCCMcCook/

GAME 1 McCook CC 9, Western Nebraska 8: The Cougars took a 4-1 lead in the second inning off MCC starter Anna Wilcox, (freshman, Victoria, British Columbia) who was relieved by freshman Savannah Hansen, (Monroe, Utah).
Kaitlyn Lord lined a two-run homerun to center field to bring the Lady Indians back to 4-3 and then the Tribe scored four runs in the third to take a 7-4 lead. In the four-run fourth, MCC got back-to-back doubles from sophomore Jade Hollands, (Effingham, Kan.) and Kristen Mogan to give MCC a 5-3 lead and Lord delivered a two-out single to put the Lady Indians up by three runs.
Kaitlyn Kleinknecht doubled leading off the fifth inning and came home on a single from freshman Lexee Johnson, (Delta, Utah), to put MCC up 8-4.
The Cougars struck for four runs in the sixth inning off Hansen, who was relieved with the bases loaded by Karleigh Kleinknecht, who walked in the tying run before getting out of the inning tied 8-8. The Indians managed a hit in the sixth but couldn't score and Kleinknecht set the Cougars down in order in the seventh to set the stage for more walk-off drama.
Freshman Kassandra Orr, (Victoria, British Columbia) led off the bottom of the seventh with a single. Sophomore Sarah Willier, (Ponoka, Alberta) came on to pinch run for Orr. Kaitlyn Kleinknecht followed with a single advancing Willier to second then Johnson bunted into a double play but Willier remained at second base. On a 2-0 count Lord ripped a single to left field her third hit of the game which drove home the winning run giving MCC three straight wins in the bottom of the seventh inning.
MCC out-hit Western Nebraska 14-8. Mogan had a double and a single along with three RBIs.

GAME 2 McCook CC 8, Western Nebraska 3: After finishing the first game with a win, Karleigh Kleinknecht started the second game in the pitching circle and kept the Cougars off the scoreboard through four innings giving the MCC offense time to get on track.
Kaitlyn Lord started things off with a double in the second inning and scored on a single by Sarah Willier, who later made it 2-0 on a Western Nebraska error.
Another Cougar error to start off the third opened way for three more MCC runs. Kristen Mogan ripped an RBI-double to center, Lord hit a sacrifice fly and freshman Alice Midiri, (Condove, Italy) delivered an RBI single to put MCC up 5-0.
A two-out Morgan single in the fifth and a triple by Kaitlyn Kleinknecht made it a 6-0 game but Western struck for three unearned runs in the fifth inning.
MCC added two runs in the sixth. Hollands doubled to lead off the sixth inning, went to third on a single by Morgan. Both scored on a two-run double by Lord.
Karleigh Kleinknecht went five innings allowing five hits, no earned runs, one walk and she struck out 12 Cougars.
Morgan led the 13-hit MCC attack with three hits. The Lady Indians got two-hit games from the bottom four in the batting order in Lord, Kassandra Orr, Willier and Midri.