McCook softball girls top Gothenburg

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette McCook pitcher Kelsey Gillen delivers a pitch to home plate in the 9-2 win over Gothenburg Sept. 9 at the Jaycees Sports Complex. Gillen allowed just three hits to gain the win.

Gothenburg has a solid girls softball program, and the Swedes probably consider McCook a rival even though the two schools compete in different Nebraska School Activities Association classifications.

The Thursday, Sept. 9 battle of the two southwest Nebraska teams went to the host team, as McCook claimed a 9-2 victory in the varsity contest at the Jaycees Sports Complex.

The Bison used a five-run sixth inning to help ice the win.

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette McCook's Taylor Matson fouls off a pitch against Gothenburg Sept. 9 at the Jaycees Sports Complex.

"Gothenburg's going to come ready to play," said McCook head coach Jason Cochran. "If you don't play well they'll bite you just like they did last year. They're not going to give up and they love coming here and playing us. They are a quality (Class) C team and they'll be there in the end."

The Class B Bison found themselves trailing 1-0 after one inning. McCook came back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. The Bison added a run in the third when Amanda Einspahr beat out an infield bunt, then advanced to second on Gretchen Sehnert's sacrifice bunt. Einspahr hustled to third on the throw to first, barely beating the tag by the Gothenburg infielder.

Einspahr then scored when she tagged up on a fly ball, and the Gothenburg catcher couldn't hold onto the ball at home plate.

Big sixth inning

McCook went ahead 4-2 in the fifth on an RBI double by Megan Ruppert.

McCook pitcher Kelsey Gillen recorded a strikeout in the top of the sixth with a Gothenburg runner aboard. In the bottom of the inning, the Bison scored five runs, with Erin Premer delivering a big hit.

Rachel Leitner got to third base on a steal and Gothenburg throwing error. With one out, Taylor Matson hit a hard grounder to shortstop. The Gothenburg fielder looked Leitner back to third, but a bad throw allowed Matson to reach safely and Leitner scrambled home for McCook's fifth run.

Becca Sehnert came on to pinch-run for Matson, and Sehnert advanced to second on a passed ball. Meagan Carfield then hit a grounder between short and third, and Carfield was safe at first with Sehnert moving to third.

Carfield tried to steal second, but the Gothenburg shortstop jumped in front of the bag to take the throw. Carfield stopped short of second base and appeared to be heading back to first. When the fielder looked at Sehnert leading off third, Carfield snuck into second base safely, then Gothenburg caught Sehnert in a run-down. After several throws, the Bison freshman got back safely to third when the Swedes fielder dropped the ball.

Einspahr hit a hard infield grounder, and Sehnert was caught off the bag again. She went back and forth in another run-down before finally trying to score. Gothenburg's fielder lost the ball when she tried to make the tag at home plate, and Sehnert was safe to give the Bison a 6-2 lead.

"Becca Sehnert's the luckiest person in this world," Coach Cochran said of her back-to-back rundown survivals. "She's got speed to burn, so I guess that gets her out of that."

Premer delivers

With runners on second and third and one out, the Swedes decided to walk Gillen, with Premer on deck. Coach Cochran said that was somewhat of a surprise to him, but Gothenburg had the choice to face either of McCook's top power hitters in that situation.

They chose Premer and paid the price. Erin rifled a shot to the center-field fence for a bases-clearing double.

Gothenburg couldn't mount a threat in the top of the seventh, as the Bison upped their season record to 9-5.

"It was a great team 'W' and we made another step in the right direction," Cochran said. "We've got some more hitters coming. We're starting to really click. We've taken another step, and all we need to do is keep taking more baby steps and we'll be there in the end."

McCook's bats were hot Thursday, as the Bison outhit Gothenburg 11-3. Amanda Einspahr and Madison Chitwood led the winners with three hits each. Einspahr scored three runs. Megan Ruppert added two hits, including her two-RBI double.

Premer had the big three-run double in the sixth. Kelsey Gillen, Gretchen Sehnert, Taylor Matson and Meagan Carfield also knocked in one run each.

Gillen turned in another strong pitching effort. The senior went the distance, allowing just three hits and three walks with seven strikeouts.

"Kelsey, she's our backbone and she pitched a great game," Cochran said.

Last home game Sept. 14

McCook returns to action Tuesday against Hastings in the final home game of the season. Junior varsity action at the Jaycees Complex opens at 5 p.m. Tuesday, followed by the varsity contest at 6:30 p.m.

Junior Varsity

The McCook-Gothenburg junior varsity game Thursday ended in a 7-7 tie after five innings due to the time limit.

McCook scored its seven runs on just three hits, with Nichelle Funk going 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Maddie Elder had a double and one RBI.

Elder pitched three innings, allowing four hits and six runs (five earned) with three walks. Ali Sheets pitched the final two innings, allowing no hits and one run with two strikeouts.