MCC softball opens season 2-0 in Iowa tournament

MCC softball opens season 2-0 in Iowa tournament

WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa The McCook Community College softball team opened the season Saturday with a couple wins in the Fun City Turf Tournament. MCC downed Iowa Wesleyan JVs 12-5, then shut out John Wood Community College 14-0 in five innings.

"I'm very proud of the girls for their effort and having so many players contribute," said MCC Coach Kevin Kaalberg.

Freshman Alexis Cortez (Aurora, Colo.) and sophomore Alice Midiri (Condove, Italy) both had three hits in Game 1. Taryn Jenkins (Aldergrove, British Columbia) Jenkins had a pair of doubles and four RBI in the game to pace the 14-hit MCC offense.

"There were some nerves starting the season but they competed hard," Kaalberg said. "The team hit the ball very well both games."

Sophomore Kristen Mogan (Richfield, Utah) had three hits and five RBIs in the second game and Jenkins had a pair of hits and scored three times to back the one-hit pitching of freshman Avery O'Neil (Ellsworth, Wis.).

MCC, 2-0, will wrap up the tournament Sunday with games against Marshalltown Community College at 9 a.m. and against host Southeastern Community College at 1 p.m.

GAME 1 -- MCC 12: Iowa Wesleyan JV 5: The Lady Indians opened the season with nine runs in the first two innings and cruised to a 12-5 win over the Tigers.
MCC's first two batters of the season reached base via base hits and scored in the first. Alexis Cortez doubled and later scored on a sacrifice fly. Alice Midiri singled and scored on a Tiger error. Rae VanMilligan (freshman, Marion, Iowa) banged out a two-out RBI-double to give MCC a 3-0 lead and scored on a single from sophomore Camryn Laird (Pueblo, Colo.) to make it a 4-0 lead after one inning.
Cortez and Midiri both singled with one out in the second to trigger another scoring cluster. They scored on a double by Taryn Jenkins to give MCC a 6-2 lead. Ashland Baca (Byers, Colo.) singled home Jenkins and scored on an error to make it 8-2 and freshman Taylor Thein (West Branch, Iowa) singled home VanMilligan to put MCC up 9-2.
Sophomore Anna Wilcox (Victoria, British Columbia) pitched the first three innings to pick up the win. She allowed one hit, walked three and struck out four. Freshman Lana Armsbury (Omaha Westside) pitched the final four innings, allowing two hits, walking three and fanning four.

GAME 2 -- MCC 14: John Wood CC 0: MCC repeated a similar formula from game win scoring four-first inning runs and adding two more in the second then put the game away on the 10-rule with six runs in the fourth and two in the fifth.
Instead of hits to lead off the game Alexis Cortez and Alice Midiri both drew walks. Taryn Jenkins doubled home Cortez, Rae VanMilligan singled home Midiri and sophomore Kristen Mogan delivered a two-run single to make in a 4-0 start.
Avery O'Neil allowed just one base runner in her five innings of work, surrendering a second-inning single. She struck out eight batters. MCC played errorless defense behind her.
Midiri's bunt single led off the MCC second, she came home on a sacrifice bunt from Ashland Baca and Mogan later singled home Jenkins to put the Lady Indians up 6-0.
Mogan delivered a bases-loaded single to start the fourth-inning rally driving in two to make it 8-0. Camryn Laird followed suit with a two-run single to make it 10-0. Freshman Taylor Thein (West Branch, Iowa) joined the RBI part with a run-scoring single to put MCC up 11-0 and the final run of the inning scored on an error.
Sophomore Lexee Johnson (Delta, Utah) singled home a run in the fifth and she scored on a Cortez double.