Bison defeat No. 1 Hawkettes: four seniors homer in regular-season finale

McCook seniors (left) Dani Johnson, Sydney Hodgson, Roslyn Wiemers and Lacyn Keller all hold their home-run history after each hit one in the 10-9 win over Class C No. 1 St. Ceciila at Hastings Thursday night.

Courtesy Photo

HASTINGS, Neb. — Anyone who expected McCook to relax Thursday night after earning subdistrict at home next week should be considered not too bright.

The Bison spotted Class C No. 1 St. Cecilia a 5-0 lead, then scored five runs during their final two frames to take home another memorable 10-9 victory.

McCook (23-6) took this final lead when senior Roslyn Wiemers crushed a two-run, last-inning home run.

Classmate Malia Hilker had walked to put the potential tying run on base, but who wants ties or extra innings?

St. Cecilia (23-5) was thinking the same when two Hawkettes hammered hits starting their seventh inning.

Yet the next Hawkette hit a grounder to shortstop Brooklynn Gillen, who erased that 10-10 chance with a strong throw into catcher Wiemers.

Roslynn applied the tag like frosting on another big cookie.

Ace pitcher Briley Morgan soon recorded the final out and McCook had conquered its regular-season finale.

However, the drama didn’t stop or start there.

Trailing 9-5, Wiemers had walked before senior Lacyn Keller clobbered a sixth-inning shot over that Hawkette home fence.

If that wasn’t good enough, senior Dani Johnson jolted her first varsity HOME RUN on a line drive over the center-field fence.

Just like that, the Bison had pulled within 9-8 to set up those last heroics.

Senior Sydney Hodgson also homered meaning four went out of the Class C top team’s ballyard.

“Hopefully, that will give us more momentum going into subdistricts,” coach Easton Gillen said.

McCook hosts the B-10 subdistrict on Monday starting at 2 p.m. With a win over Alliance, the Bison play either Scottsbluff or Gering for that B-10 title set at 6 p.m.

Wiemers, Keller and Hodgson all totaled two RBIs for the Bison Thursday night.

Gillen, Wiemers and Johnson each finished with two hits. Johnson also doubled and Gillen did twice.

Hilker, Johnson and Gillen each scored two runs.

Morgan pitched all seven innings, winning despite four Bison errors along with six walks. She struck out three.