Indians rising in Region baseball after Wednesday home sweep

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Community College baseball team picked up a pair of wins Wednesday at home downing the York University JV 9-6 and 11-1 in five innings.

MCC got back-to-back home runs from freshman Maddox Shaver (Belleville Ontario) and sophomore Michael Quick (Oshawa, Ontario) in the sixth inning of Game 1 to help overcome a 6-5 deficit.

“It was good to get the sweep, the first game was definitely in question late but got three great swings in a row in the bottom of the sixth to put us over the top,” said MCC Coach Jon Olsen.

In Game 2, the Indians scored eight runs in the second inning and got a four-inning win from freshman pitcher Brady Augustin (Surrey, British Columbia). Offensively the Indians got a three-for-three game at the plate from sophomore Jackson Yeager (Omaha Westside HS) who drove in three runs.

“We got a really good start from Brady in Game 2 and we had a huge second inning where we really swung the bat well that inning,” said Olsen.

MCC improves to 13-15 overall and 9-3 at home.

“It was nice to continue playing well at home and it’s been a nice little homestand for us and nice to play at home after a long start on the road,” said Olsen.

The Indians return to the Region IX schedule this weekend with a split-series against Northeastern Junior College.

The two teams will play two games today in McCook starting at 1 p.m. and then go to Sterling, Colo., for two games Sunday starting at 2 p.m.

MCC is tied for second in the Region IX standings at 6-2 while NJC is seventh at 2-6 and 16-16 overall.

MCC’s next home game will be April 16 at 2 p.m. against Colby.

GAME 1 – McCook CC 9, York Univ. JV 6: The Indians scored three runs in the first. Sophomore Luke Bies (Omaha Gross) led off the inning with a single and scored on a two-run double by Jackson Yeager. Yeager scored on a Panther error to put MCC up 3-0.

Bies hit a one-out solo home run in the second to make it a 4-0 game.

Sophomore Zack Lane (Phoenix, Ariz.) pitched four innings, allowed four hits, walked one, hit two, struck out two and gave up three earned runs.

Blake Benallo (sophomore, Thornton, Colo.) was able to pitch out of a no-out, runner on second jam with a walk and three strikeouts. Freshman A.J. Matta (Arvada, Colo.) pitched a scoreless fifth inning allowing one hit and striking out one.

Down 6-5 in the sixth, Bies led off the inning with a double. The Indians got back-to-back home runs from Maddox Shaver and Michael Quick.

It was the Shaver’s fourth homer of the season and Quick’s third. MCC added a final run on a pair of walks, a passed ball and an error.

Ethan Badcock (sophomore, Adelaide, Australia) picked up the save pitching a scoreless seventh, allowing a hit and a walk and striking out three.

“Minus the fifth inning we played pretty solid on the pitching and defensively but boy the fifth snowballed on us,” said Olsen.