Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer

Pioneers Get Hot in Game 1; Errors Doom Team in Game 2 of Sunday Split

Pioneers Get Hot in Game 1; Errors Doom Team in Game 2 of Sunday Split
Posted: Mar 22, 2026

Game 1 - Pioneers 17... Western Nebraska 6 (6 Innings)

The MCC Pioneers finally got their bats going in Scottsbluff, NE. MCC banged out 21 hits and every Pioneer in the lineup had at least one hit in a 17-6 dismantling of Western Nebraska to assure themselves of at least 1 win in the 4-game series. 

MCC didn't waste any time getting on the scoreboard Sunday morning. The Pioneers plated 3 runs in the top of the 1st inning. Malory Webb (SS - Idaho Falls, ID) led off the game with a single and that was followed by a single from Brylee Lowell (LF - Columbus, MT). With one out, Brooke Schaffer (3B - Missoula, MT) picked up the first of her 5 RBI in the game with a single. With 2 outs, Emily Robins (CF - Rexburg, ID) came up cluctch with a 2 RBI double. 

Western Nebraska got a run in each of the 2nd and 3rd innings to cut the deficit to 3-2. The game was all Pioneers from that point forward as MCC plated 7 runs in the top of the 4th inning. All 7 of the Pioneer runs came with 2 outs. Webb walked, Lowell singled, and Rylynn Krein (P - Fergus Falls, MN) walked to loead the bases. Schaffer came up big again with a bases clearing triple to give MCC a 6-2 lead. Elizabeth Cunningham (RF - Polson, MT) hit a RBI double on the next at bat. Robins singled to put runners on the corners and Paityn Ralphs (1B - Ammon, ID) smashed a 3-run home run to put the Pioneers up 10-2.  

The Cougars answered with 4 runs in the bottom of the 4th inning to get back in the game and cut the lead to 10-6. That is as close as WNCC would get as the Pioneers took off from there. The Pioneers got 2 runs in the top of the 5th inning after Webb reached on an error and was driven in on a Lowell double. Schaffer picked up another RBI with a single and MCC took a 12-6 lead to the bottom of the 5th inning. 

MCC then picked up 5 runs in the top of the 6th inning to put the game on ice. Ralphs led the inning off with a single and the Pioneers got a 2-run home run from Sydney Goldbar (2B - Missoula, MT). Adrie Mortensen (C - Rexburg, ID) followed that with a double and Webb singled to put runners on the corners. Krein hit a 2 RBI single with one out and Schaffer got her 4th hit of the game with a single. Krein singled to drive in 2 more runs and MCC got their final run on a Cunningham ground out .

Krein pitched 6 innings to get the win (11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 8 SO). 

Inside the Box Score

  • The Pioneers had 21 hits (2 HR, 5 2B). Schaffer had 4 hit to lead the team. Webb, Lowell, and Robins each had 3 hits. Krein, Cunningham, and Ralphs had 2 hits apiece. 
  • The Cougars had 11 hits (2 2B). 
  • MCC had 3 errors and WNCC had 1. 
  • The Pioneers had 3 stolen bases and the Cougars had 0.
  • Pioneer batters struck out 3 times and walked 5 times. 
  • Cougar batters struck out 8 times and walked 3 times. 

 

Game 2 - Pioneers 3... Western Nebraska 11 (6 Innings)

The weekend in Scottsbluff ended just like it started. Western Nebraska bested the MCC Pioneers 11-3 to take 3 out of 4 games in the series. 

The Cougars got on the board first with 2 runs in the bottom of the 1st. MCC tied the game with 2 runs in the top of the 2nd led by a solo shot to start the inning off the bat of Addison Sanders (DP - Idaho Falls, ID) and a RBI single from Sarah Koskela (C - Thompson Falls, MT). 

WNCC scored 2 in the bottom of the 2nd and another in the 3rd to take a 5-2 lead. In the 5th inning, MCC added their final run of the game on a WNCC error. 

The Cougars then capped off the series with 2 runs in the 5th inning and ended the game with 4 runs in the 6th. 

Kayla Jensen (Lewistown, MT) got the start in game 2 and pitched 4 innings (8 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, SO) and Harley Brown (Great Falls, MT) finished the game with 1.2 innings (3 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 3 BB). 

Inside the Box Score

  • The Pioneers had only 4 hits (HR, 2B). Sanders had 2 of the 4 hits. 
  • The Cougars had 11 hits (HR, 2B). 
  • MCC committed 5 errors and WNCC had 3. 
  • Brylee Lowell had all 3 of the Pioneer stolen bases. WNCC had 2. 
  • Pioneer batters struck out twice, walked 3 times, and were hit by pitch once. 
  • Cougar batters struck out once and walked 5 times. 

The Pioneers end their non-conference schedule with a 12-12 record. They will start MonDak Conference play next Saturday hosting Dakota College at Bottineau for a 4-game series starting Saturday at 1:00 PM.