GAME 1 - Pioneers 1... Western Nebraska 11
The MCC Pioneers couldn't get anything going at the plate and the Western Nebraska Cougars took full advantage by scoring 4 runs in the 3rd inning and 5 more in the 4th to pile on the Pioneers 11-1 in 5 innings on Wednesday afternoon in Scottsbluff, NE. The Pioneer pitching staff struggled on the mound as the Cougars had their bats going full speed. Bridger Erickson (St. Anthony, ID) got the start on the mound and pitched 2 innings, allowing 2 hits and striking out 2. He was relieved by Mason Flanary (Rexburg, ID) and Flanary gave up 4 hits and 4 runs in 1 inning while walking 2. Bo Hays (Bozeman, MT) was up next and hays also pitched 1 inning, giving up 5 runs on 3 hits. Hays walked 2 batters and struck out 1. Josh Banderob (Great Falls, MT) finished things off going 0.2 innings and giving up 2 runs on 1 hit, walking 2 and striking out 1.
The Pioneers only offense came on a home run by 1B Kaleb Breeze (West Valley City, UT) in the 5th inning. 2B Tyler Tenney singled after Breeze's HR and was the only other hit for the Pioneers. The Pioneers struck out 8 times in the game and only walked one time.
WNCC scored their 11 runs on 10 hits and had 4 strikeouts. 6 Cougars recieved walks by the Pioneer pitching staff.
Game 2 - Pioneers 19 ... Western Nebraska 20 (8 Innings)
The Pioneers couldn't hold on in game 2 after building a 15-6 lead going to the 7th inning only to see WNCC tie the game to send it to extra innings. The Pioneers scored 4 in the top of the 8th and the Cougars rallied with 5 in the bottom of the frame with a walk off home run and a 20-19 victory.
MCC got things going right away as SS Jaeden Jordahl (Billings, MT) singled and was driven in by CF Jake Lacey's (Gillette, WY) triple to centerfield and Lacey then scored on an error by the Cougars and a 2-0 Pioneer lead. That lead swelled to 6-0 in the 2nd inning after RF Mason Flanary singled and was sacrificed to 2nd base by C Karter Yancey (St. Anthony, ID). LF Grant Gabbert (Thorton, CO) singled in Flanary for a 3-0 lead. Jordahl followed that up with a home run to left field and Lacey went back to back on the home run train and a 6-0 Pioneer lead.
WNCC scored 1 in the bottom of the 2nd inning and another in the 3rd. In the top of the 4th, Jordahl hit his 2nd bomb of the game and after Lacey walked, 3B Tim Holyk got in the action with a 2-run shot of his own to centerfield giving the Pioneers a 9-2 lead. In the top of the 5th, Yancey walked and advanced to 2nd on a single by Gabbert. Jordahl was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Lacey had an RBI single for a 10-2 lead.
WNCC scored 4 runs in the 5th inning to cut the lead to 10-6. MCC got 5 runs of insurance in the 7th inning when Lacey walked and Holyk hit his 2nd 2-run blast of the game giving the Pioneers a 12-6 lead. DH Ian Krump then singled, had Brady Jones (Manhattan, MT) pinch run and Jones was driven in on a double by Breeze to make it 13-6. Matt Burton (Helena, MT) came in to pinch run for Breeze and scored on another home run for the Pioneers by Flanary and a 15-6 lead that seemed insurmountable but the Cougars rallied for 9 in the bottom of the 7th to send the game to extra innings.
MCC struck first in extra innings as Jordahl singled, moved to 2nd on a wild pitch and was driven in on a single by Lacey. Holyk then hit his 3rd bomb of the day and the Pioneers took a 18-15 lead. Tommy O'Connell doubled and scored on a wild pitch to make it 19-15 in the 8th.
The Pioneers collected 21 hits in the game led by Jordahl, Lacey, Holyk with 4 hits each and Flanary with 3 hits. Gabbert had 2 hits while Krump, Breeze, and Tenney had the other base pokes for the Pioneers. The Pioneers and the Cougars each committed 3 errors in the game.
With a long spring break trip in Arizona starting on Saturday, Coach Brabant went with a slew of pitchers in game 2. Cy Miller (Helena, MT) started things out with a 3 strikeout 1st inning that included one walk. Patrick Dietz (Manhattan, MT) pitched the 2nd inning and gave up one run on 2 hits with a walk and 2 strikeouts. Noah Aliff (Centralia, WA) pitched the 3rd inning and gave up a run on a hit and allowing a walk. Caeden Riley (Torrington, WY) pitched a nearly perfect 4th inning only allowing a walk. Jeremy Gee (Brigham City, UT) had a rough 5th inning going 0.2 and giving up 4 runs on 5 hits. He walked one and struck out another. Cameron Murphy (Torrington, WY) went the next 1.1 innings and allowed only a hit and a strikeout. Jay Neugebauer (Rapid City, SD) pitched the 7th but not after the Cougars rattled off 9 runs on 5 hits to tie the game at 15. Neugebauer walked 3 and struck out 3. Kam Kostial (Rexburg, ID) took in the 8th inning and gave up 5 runs in 0.1 innings. He walked 4 and gave up a grand slam to end the game.
MCC will now travel to Tucson, Arizona for 15 games in 10 days at the Tucson Invitational starting Saturday against Central Lakes CC and Riverland CC.