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Pioneers Split Games With Dawson on Final Day of Regular Season

Pioneers Split Games With Dawson on Final Day of Regular Season
Posted: May 01, 2023

Game 1 - Pioneers 1... Dawson 9 (5 Innings)

The MCC Pioneer softball team needed to win two games in Glendive on the final day of the regular season to win the MonDak Conference regular season title. Unfortunately, they could not get the bats going in game one, coming up with only 3 hits in a 9-1 loss dashing the hopes of hosting the Region XIII Softball Playoffs. 

The Pioneers got on the board first in the top of the 1st inning when SS Sierra John singled and with one out LF Liz Ybarra followed that with another single. CF Skyler Higgs and 1B Hazel Eaton drew back to back walks and the Pioneers led 1-0. That was all the offense could come up with over the next 4 innings getting only one more hit and drawing 2 walks. 

Dawson tied the game at 1-1 after an inning and then scored 3 in the 2nd to take command of the game. The Bucs would score 2 in the 3rd, 2 more in the 4th, and one more in the 5th to shut the door and claim the conference title. 

Peyton Whitehead got the start for MCC and pitched 3.1 innings (8 R, 8 H, 3 BB, SO). Hazel Eaton pitched the final 0.2 innings (R, H, 2 BB).

Inside the Box Score

  • Dawson outhit the Pioneers 9-3. All 3 of Pioneer hits were singles.
  • The Pioneers committed 3 errors and DCC had 1.
  • MCC batters struck out 6 times and DCC batters only once. 
  • Dawson connected on 4 home runs.

Game 2 - Pioneers 13... Dawson 11

MCC used a 6-run 6th inning to salvage a split of the day and the season series with a 13-11 win in game 2 on Sunday afternoon. 

Nine different Pioneers had one hit each and MCC got 3-run home runs off of the bats of Sierra John in the 2nd inning and Skylar Higgs in the bottom of the 6th inning to aid in the victory. Shannon Nelson had the only double for the Pioneers and drove in 2 runs. 

MCC also took advantage of 4 DCC errors, 9 walks, and 3 hit batsmen holding off a hot hitting Dawson teams that ripped 21 base hits over 7 innings. DCC hit 2 home runs and had 3 doubles. 

The Pioneers took a 1-0 lead after one inning but Dawson scored twice in the 2nd to take their only lead of game 2. The Pioneer quickly answered with 3 runs in the bottom of the 2nd. Dawson tied the game 4-4 in the 4th only to see the Pioneers cross the plate twice in the bottom of the 4th to take a 6-4 lead. MCC got another run in the 5th inning and Dawson scored twice in the top of the 6th to cut the lead to 7-6. 

MCC scored 6 runs in the bottom of the 6th and then held off a Dawson rally as the Bucs had the tying run at the plate when the Pioneers recorded the final out. 

Madi Henry pitched game 2 for MCC and finished 6.1 innings (20 H, 11R, 5 SO) and Alex Carr cleaned up the last 2 outs (H, SO). 

Inside the Box Score

  • Dawson outhit Miles 21-9. 
  • MCC drew 9 walks and had 3 hit batsmen. MCC pitchers did not walk any DCC batters (1 hit batsmen).
  • MCC had 3 extra base hits and DCC had 5. 
  • MCC struck out only 3 times and DCC struck out 6 times. 

The Pioneers finish the regular season with a school record 33 wins and 33-6 record. MCC was 20-4 in MonDak Conference play and will head to Glendive Thursday for the Region XIII playoffs. The Pioneers will play the winner of #3 seed Dakota County Tech and #6 seed Lake Region State on Thursday at 4:00 PM. The Region XIII Playoffs will run thru Saturday.