Bison softball wins two at Holdrege, drops 3-2 finale

HOLDREGE, Neb. — The McCook High softball girls are now 7-3 after beating Alliance and Kearney Catholic on Saturday but losing a 3-2 Holdrege Invitational championship game to Class A Lincoln Northwest.

More details will be featured in Tuesday's Gazette.

The Bison could not quite overcame a three-run Lincoln Northwest first inning even though seniors Paige Bortner and Malia Hilker both scored for coach Easton Gillen's team. Senior Roslyn Wiemers delivered two hits with an RBI.

Senior Briley Morgan went on to pitch all six innings, only permitting four hits and no runs following that first frame.

McCook took down the Stars of Kearney Catholic, 5-2, with senior Sydney Hodgson smashing her first home run this season. Hodgson and Morgan both drove home two Bison runs with leadoff batter Brooklynn Gillen adding two hits.

Senior Dani Johnson scored another run as did Hilker following walks.

Morgan pitched all six innings again as she struck out seven Stars, allowed four hits and just one earned run.

The Bison trounced Alliance, 12-0, thanks largely to Bortner's two doubles, single, three runs scored and five RBI.

Hilker scored three runs off while Cassdy Rogers stepped in to added two hits with two ribose.

Keller doubled, walked and scored twice to support her three innings of one-hit pitching.

She struck out four Bulldogs while walking only one in three innings.

McCook hosts another game tonight at 6:30 p.m. against the Cozad Haymakers.