Bison smashing to 5-1 start, girls invite Tigers tonight

McCook senior Lacyn Keller sliding in to finish leadoff inside-the-park home run against Chase County Monday evening.

R.B. Headley/McCook Gazette

McCOOK, Neb. — The biggest boom-boom didn’t arrive until after thunderstorms had rolled through McCook Monday afternoon.

There was also plenty of lightning when Bison senior Lacyn Keller sent that first bolt beyond Chase County’s chasing outfielders.

Keller zapped the Longhorns with a first-pitch inside-parker home run and if that wasn’t electrifying enough...

McCook senior Brooklynn Gillen sensing the Bison are about to start two-for-two-for two: two pitches, two swings, two inside-the-park homers Monday against Chase County.

R.B. Headley/McCook Gazette

Senior Brooklynn Gillen unleashed that same amazing feet on Chase County’s very next pitch.

McCook just kept pouring on the scores throughout a 14-0 victory needing only 2 1/2 innings.

It followed an 11-1 win over Southern Valley-Alma earlier on Monday as coach Easton Gillen’s Bison built plenty of momentum for Hastings Tigers visiting tonight.

Younger McCook Bison like Cassidy Rogers (above) gained varsity experience on Monday.

R.B. Headley/McCook Gazette

The Bison-Hastings varsity showdown is set to begin at 6 p.m. on that same Jaycees Complex diamond.

“Southern Valley-Alma’s a good team that is going to win a lot of games,” Gillen proclaimed about the Saints, who did beat both Chadron and Gothenburg last week while going 2-2.

Keller, seniors Malia Hilker and Roslyn Wiemers teamed for five hits with six RBIs against those Saints.

Brooklynn Gillen settled for a “measly” double during that first contest but scored one run and drove home another.

Seniors Danika Havlicek and Briley Morgan both added a hit-run scored-RBI.

Game two was beautiful because not only did Keller and Gillen both go 2-for-2 at top of McCook’s batting order.

Younger Bison Aspyn Bales also singled twice and scored twice with her own daring baserunning.

Alice Weimer singled, scored and added an RBI.

Joslin Miller’s hit led to her rounding those same home bases while junior Gracie Cornelsen delivered two more RBIs.

They all supported a combined three-inning no-hitter from Keller and Cassidy Rogers.

The Bison combo teamed to strike out eight Chase batters: Keller five and Rogers added three Ks.

No. 1 hurler Morganpitched an efficient four innings against Southern Valley-Alma, permitting just two hits and fanning five Saints.

Perhaps best of all was Morgan did not walk one SV-A batter.

“Briley threw a lot of innings over the weekend (at Milford’s tourney),” coach Gillen observed. “She did a good job of minimizing her pitch count more today.”

Macy Adams joined Kaitlin Bradley in delivering those two Saints hits vs. Morgan.

Bradley tripled and scored that one run.

A final two Bison batting highlights during this Monday home sweep were Hilker and Keller both hitting triples vs. Chase County.

McCook followed a positive weekend at the Milford Tournament where the Bison won two of three for second place.

They crushed Cass, 12-3, when senior Dani Johnson doubled twice, scored two runs and batted in one.

Gillen (two runs, three RBIs) and Keller (two runs, RBI) both smacked two hits also, yet coach Gillen was most impressed about his order “one through nine”.

Senior No. 9 batter Sydney Hodgson tripled, singled, scored two runs and added a ribbie.

McCook later beat a strong St. Paul team, 4-2, before losing that Milford title game to Nebraska City 6-3.

Hilker tripled among her two RBIs vs. St. Paul with senior Paige Bortner also tripling and scoring twice.