Lady Indians lose CWS opener 7-0; face elimination Tuesday

OXFORD, Ala. – After Alabama rains pushed back the start of the NJCAA D-1 Softball College World Series by an hour, a 90-minute rain-delay after the top of the third inning combined to help prevent the McCook Community College softball team from getting any traction Monday. MCC lost 7-0 to San Jacinto College. The Lady Indians will face an elimination game Tuesday at 5:45 p.m.

"It was just kind of a weird day all around from the beginning," said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall. "The field we were supposed to warm up on at 9:15 a.m. was flooded and then we had the two rain delays and just could not get into a consistent routine at the plate."

The Ravens got off to a 2-0 lead just nine pitches into the game getting a leadoff triple, a single and a double but MCC reclaimed a little momentum after the double when freshman centerfielder Josie Wright retrieved the ball and threw to freshman shortstop Brooklynn Gillen (McCook) to pick off the runner at second base. MCC starting pitcher Paige Warren then caught a popup and struck out the final hitter to get out of the inning.

San Jacinto loaded the bases in the second on three singles, but Warren induced an inning-ending groundout.

MCC was held hitless through two innings.

"I feel like we had a lot of nerves," said Mendenhall. 

Warren walked the leadoff Raven in the third and the runner advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Warren walked a second batter then got a groundout for the second out with runners at second and third base. With an 0-2 pitch to the next batter, Warren had to leave the game with an illness. Freshman Hannah Schneider (Alliance, Neb.) came on to strikeout out the batter on two pitches to get out of the inning.

Warren, went 2.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits, two walks and a strikeout. She later returned to the batting order.

Sophomore Kashlin Beck (Claflin, Kan.) led off the MCC third inning with the Lady Indians' first hit of the game, but the Tribe went out in order.

San Jacinto added an unearned run in the fourth to lead 3-0 when rain forced a 90-minute postponement. When play resumed in the bottom of the fourth, MCC got a one-out single from freshman Lyndsay Keogh (freshman, Surrey, British Columbia) but left her stranded.

The Ravens got a two-out single in the fifth to score two runs to lead 5-0. The Indians put two runners aboard via singles in the home-half of the fifth from Beck and freshman Lacyn Keller (McCook), but again, MCC could not push a run home.

In the sixth, San Jac added one run to lead 6-0. Keough singled in the bottom of the frame, but the Lady Indians were held scoreless. The Ravens made it 7-0 with a run in the seventh and MCC was held to a Beck single in the seventh.

Schneider went 4.1 innings, allowing six hits, two walks, four earned runs and she struck out three.

Beck led MCC with three hits, Keough had two and Keller one – all singles.

San Jacinto improves to 42-24 and will take on top-rated and No. 1 seed Florida SouthWestern (54-4) at 11 a.m. Tuesday.

The Lady Indians spent about six and a half hours at Choccolocco Park Monday – with 2.5 of those hours spent in rain delays.

There is a 50 percent chance of rain between when the games start at 11 a.m. Tuesday through 5 p.m. before the forecast tapers off to 20 percent by 6 p.m. Barring any delays, MCC (52-8) will play a 5:45 p.m. game against the loser of the Tuesday's 1:15 p.m. game between No. 2 Northwest Florida State (55-5) and the winner of Monday's late game between No. 15 Iowa Western Community College and No. 18 Arizona Western.

Other than the rain, this is the same scenario MCC faced a year ago in Arizona when the No. 16 Lady Indians dropped a first-round game 4-2 to No. 17 Crowder Community College then came back in the elimination bracket to win three straight games over top 11 ranked teams.

"Last year we lost the first game and won three in a row," said Mendenhall. "The ladies are in good spirits and will be ready to go tomorrow."

Back in McCook, college officials will host another watch party Tuesday at the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center. College staff will serve hot dogs and chips. It is open to the public. More rain is forecast for Alabama, so game time could be pushed back. Check the McCook Community College Facebook page and the MCC Softball Page for weather updates and game time changes.