Plainsmen top 'flat' MCC ballclub

First baseman Justin Lucas takes a healthy cut during McCook Community College’s conference home baseball game against Norrtheastern (Colo) Community College on Sunday at the Jaycees Complex.

mccindians.com

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Community College baseball team came out flat Sunday, trailed early, and lost a 9-1 decision to Empire-League leading Northeastern Junior College.

The Plainsmen scored four first inning runs on four MCC walks, an error, two wild pitches and a two-run single by the eighth place hitter to lead 4-0.

All the NJC damage in the first came against freshman starter Yasnier Laureano (S.C.) who allowed one hit and one earned run in his one inning of work, and struck out three hitters.

Freshman Isaac Vargas (Greeley, Colo.) came on in the second and after retiring the first two hitters, walked two batters and NJC was able to score its fifth run on a dropped third strike and an RBI single by the next batter to put the Plainsmen up 6-0.

MCC scored its only run in the second inning. With two outs, freshman Kade Wroot (North Platte) singled and scored on a double off the bat of Justin Lucas (Las Vegas).

Vargas went seven innings in relief and allowed five hits, walked five and struck out 10 hitters before he was relieved by Jesse Bloom (Centennial, Colo.) who pitched the ninth allowing a run on two hits. He fanned one.

MCC did outhit NJC 9-8 but he Plainsmen had nine hitters reach via walks while MCC’s offense only reached once on a walk.

The Indians got two-hit games from Trevor Pacheco (Pueblo, Colo.) Lucas, and Angel Mojica (Denver.)

The Plainsmen improve to 22-16 overall and first in the Empire Lague standings with a 15-8 record.

MCC falls to 11-20 and 6-14, in the standings, 7.5 games back of NJC in last place.

The two teams conclude the three-game series today with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.