MCC softball team clinches league title with sweep

Coach Kevin Kaalberg (left) talks with his McCook Community College softball players who clinched a conference championship on Thursday.

mccindians.com

BEATRICE, Neb. – The McCook Community College softball team sewed up the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference championship Thursday with a pair of wins over Southeast Community College, 6-1, 12-7.

The 31 wins this year is the fourth most all time.

“We continue to hit the ball hard,” MCC coach Kevin Kaalberg said.

The third and fourth-place hitters in the MCC batting order – sophomore transfer Taryn Jenkins (Aldergrove, British Columbia) and freshman Ashland Baca (Byers, Colo.) - combined to go nine-for 15 on the afternoon with five home runs and 10 RBIs.

Baca homered twice in Game 1 and once in Game 2, Jenkins homered twice in Game 2 and freshman Taylor Thein (West Branch, Iowa) joined the long-ball party with a home run of her own in Game 2.

“I am proud of them for not getting down and taking care of business,” Kaalberg said.

The important business of the day was sewing up the NCCAC title, improving to 9-1 in the conference and taking a four-game lead over Central Community College.

MCC will play two remaining conference games in North Platte Wednesday.

Baca is heating up in April with nine home runs including hitting homers in four of the past five games and four home runs in two days.

For the season she is batting .403 in 40 games and driven in 55 batters on 15 home runs. That season total ranks fourth in MCC softball history, just two homers behind Kelsey Gillen, who hit 17 in 2013.

Ashland went five-for-seven on the afternoon with three home runs and Jenkins went four for eight with six RBIs and two homers. She is batting .453 on the season with 14 homers and leads the team with 60 RBIs.

MCC will head back to Scottsbluff against Western Nebraska Community College Saturday and Sunday.

MCC is 31-9 overall and are setting in third place in the region with a 13-5 record.