Cloud County Softball Splits Road Doubleheader at Southeast Community College

Coming off a perfect 4-0 week last week, the Cloud County Community College softball team held off a late rally from host Southeast Community College to win game one by a score of 6-4 as part of a doubleheader split following an 8-4 loss in game two at the Hannibal Park Softball Complex in Beatrice, Nebraska on Monday, March 11th.

The T-Birds ran their winning streak to six consecutive games with the game one win before seeing the Bobcats salvage the final of four games between the two teams this season as CCCC improves to 12-4 overall. Southeast is now 4-14 overall and has won three of their past four games.

Game One:
Limited offense for both teams through four innings of play saw neither team be able to record more than one hit in any of their first three innings with Cloud County taking advantage of a leadoff walk in the second along with a wild pitch and groundout from Harley Smith to plate the only run through four innings of action to grab a 1-0 lead. Still holding the slimmest of advantages, CCCC took advantage of a Kaitlynn Baca leadoff single to set up a Kaylee Pinneo two-run home run to add to their lead in the top of the fifth with one more run coming home later in the inning on a Kiera Brack RBI single to score Brooklynn McCormick. The 4-0 lead for the T-Birds grew again in the top of the sixth as Madyson Buescher led off the inning with a solo home run to account for Cloud County's only hit in the inning with a 5-0 lead seemingly allowing CCCC to be in control.

Southeast managed to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth as a pair of one-out singles allowed for a two-RBI double two batters later to allow the Bobcats to break through and get back within three at 5-2 heading into the seventh inning. McCormick and Brack came together again in the seventh to score another run for Cloud County with a one-out double from McCormick coming around to score on a Brack RBI double which pushed the lead back to four runs. Southeast still had a chance however to make things interesting with three straight base hits to begin the bottom of the seventh plating two runs and bringing the game-tying run to the plate before a groundout and popup that slowed momentum. A two-out single for the Bobcats put the game-tying run on base to put more pressure on the T-Birds, but a groundout to Smith at shortstop ended the game and allowed CCCC to hang on for the series win over Southeast.

Both Baca and Brack led Cloud County in the game with three hits each with 10 total hits coming from five different T-Bird batters. Brack and Pinneo drove in two runs each and accounted for two of the four extra-base hits for CCCC while seeing McCormick score three times after going two-for-three at the plate with a walk. Adding to her impressive outing was Brack in the circle by throwing a complete game and striking out two while improving to 6-2 overall after throwing a complete game for the T-Birds.

Game Two:
After never trailing in game one, Cloud County saw the Bobcats grab an early lead in the bottom of the first as the T-Birds stranded the bases loaded on a fielder's choice to end the top of the inning before allowing a pair of two-out RBI singles to give SCC a 2-0 advantage. CCCC responded in the top of the third following a Southeast pitching change with two walks and a single loading the bases and forcing another Bobcat change in the circle before pair of wild pitches across two at-bats brought home two runs to tie the game. Cloud County took their first lead of the game with Smith at the plate as an RBI double brought home Camille Stauffer to put the T-Birds out in front 3-2 as the three runs came on two hits in the inning.

The lead for CCCC was short-lived, however, as Southeast used a one-out triple followed by an RBI single to tie the game at 3-3 while stranding two runners to keep things tied heading to the fourth. Continuing the back-and-forth, Cloud County reclaimed the lead in the next half-inning with a Brooke Bonar double to lead the inning off getting followed by an Alyssa Reynolds single and Pinneo RBI single to put the T-Birds back up 4-3.

Holding their advantage into the fifth, Cloud County kept Southeast from getting anything going offensively until the bottom of the fifth inning when three hits led to a game-tying RBI single with the go-ahead run for the Bobcats once again getting stranded in scoring position. After being retired in order in the top of the sixth, CCCC surrendered a four-run inning to Southeast in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of one-out singles and a two-out, two-RBI double putting SCC out in front 6-4. Two additional runs came home following a single coupled with two errors as the Bobcats took their largest lead of the game after trailing for much of the contest up to that point. Needing to put together a late rally to try and extend the game, Cloud County was only able to put one runner on base with Pinneo reaching on an error as Southeast never allowed the T-Birds to grab any momentum and make a potential comeback to hold on for the doubleheader split.

Seven stranded base runners proved costly for Cloud County in the game as the T-Birds went just nine-of-30 at the plate with five strikeouts. Southeast pounded out 13 hits despite not drawing a single walk and had two hits go for extra bases while taking advantage of two CCCC errors to account for their offensive output. For Cloud County, Pinneo led the T-Birds with three hits in four at-bats while Reynolds and Smith each went two-for-three with Pinneo and Smith accounting for the lone RBI recorded by CCCC. McCormick and Bonar were the only other players for Cloud County to have hits in the contest as only two hits went for extra bases for the T-Birds.

What's Next?
A trip west to Goodland, Kansas is scheduled for Cloud County to take place as part of a 12 PM (MDT) doubleheader against Northwest Kansas Technical College. The Mavericks are 0-20 to begin this season including a pair of losses to CCCC back on February 21st. The T-Birds won a doubleheader in Concordia over NWKT by scores of 10-0 and 14-3 in the previous doubleheader.