Bison finish subdistrict 'three-peat', but host Bearcats again Saturday

McCOOK, Neb. — Monday’s wonderful scene near 10 p.m. at the Jaycees Complex still raised one potentially disturbing question:

Hey parents, why would these McCook softball seniors ever want to leave home?

Between B-10 subdistrict wins on Monday, there were moms serving free food to all the Bison players and coaches.

Tom Wiemers and other dads made sure the home diamond was so smooth McCook didn’t make a single error all B-10 day.

Plus it’s a happy Tom Wiemers who learned his Royals knocked off the mighty New York Yankees.

Royals over the Yankees? Who doesn’t love that!

Mom Deanna Johnson was firing superb game photos for all the family memories, offsetting that usual grumpy Gazette guy who was removing leftover oreos from a nearby official’s tent around 9 p.m.

Plus the Bison got to enjoy loud music and — best of all — their screaming school mates as they celebrated a third consecutive B-10 subdisrict championship.

The Bison blanked Alliance, 11-0, then held off B-10 No. 2-seed Scottsbluff for that 6-3 finals victory.

It just seemed even more than McCook winning subdistricts at Kearney and Holdrege during these two previous seasons.

“I don’t know if I can remember a better crowd than this one,” coach Easton Gillen said about his 25-6 Bison, reportedly their most softball wins in any season since 2007. “And they certainly gave our girls energy.”

The Bison blasted past No. 4-seed Alliance, 11-0, thanks largely to an eight-run second inning.

Seniors Lacyn Keller and Dani Johnson both walked before Sydney Hodgson’s line-drive double ignited a string of Bison RBI-hits.

“Like I’ve said many times, our lineup is tough one through nine,” coach Gillen remarked. “Sydney does a great job at the No. 9 spot of coming through and turning our lineup over.”

Leadoff batter Brooklynn Gillen promptly singled home Hodgson.

Senior Danika Havlicek’s first of two doubles on the day sent Brooklynn motoring home to make it 5-0.

Seniors Paige Bortner and Malia Hilker both delivered RBI-hits as McCook’s 3-4 batters.

Yet the most memorable shot was senior catcher Roslyn Wiemers sending a two-run blast off someone’s car in the parking lot.

Wiemers’ second consecutive game with a HOME RUN finished the Bison blast-off at 9-nothing.

“Hitting is contagious,” Easton proclaimed while offering no desire for a vaccine.

No. 1-seed McCook soon finished this “mercy rule” win when Johnson jolted a double which one-hopped against the outfield fence.

Keller (walk) joined courtesy runner Aspen Bales in scoring game one’s final tallies. Bales was running for Wiemers, who had reached on a dropped pop fly.

Senior Briley Morgan pitched four scoreless innings for yet another shutout, allowing only three hits and striking out eight Bulldogs.

Alliance finished its season at 10-24.

The Bison then went from hitting and running to waiting as two B-10 rivals pursued their 20th wins this season.

No. 2 Scottsbluff and No. 3 Gering played a wild three-hour second semifinal where No. 3 finally led 13-9 with only three outs remaining.

Yet amazingly, the Barcats played a final five runs to rally for an emotional 14-13 win.

Scottsbluff seemed more than ready to take on another challenge and perhaps avenge a 9-1 loss to McCook on Sept. 26.

The Bison win secured their home spot for this B-10 touenament, but Scottsbluff could earn district finals at its home diamond by beating McCook.

In other words, the Bison “business casual” fan theme featuring senior Andrew Pochop’s pink shirt and slacks was not flowing over to these McCook players.

Not a chance.

Instead, the home team jumped on Scottsbluff for two runs during each of these first two innings.

Their first-inning pair featured just one hit leaving the infield.

Brooklynn Gillen reached when the Bearcat first baseman dropped a routine opening throw from Scottsbluff’s pitcher.

Senior Danika Havlicek promptly put down one perfect bunt single.

Following their double steal of second and third, senior Paige Bortner sent a soaring RBI-sac fly into right-center field as Gillen scored another of her record-setting runs this fall.

“Our team record for a player scoring runs in a season was 48,” coach Easton Gillen said. “Brooklynn’s now into the 50s.”

Wiemers put another ball into play and — after a slight delay until Scottsbluff threw to first — Havlicek raced homeward and made it 2-0 with her head-first slide.

Morgan worked around a two out-two on base threat before the Bison plated another two in their second.

Again, the fun began with a Bearcat infield error as Keller reached first safely.

Morgan soon outraced another grounder for an infield single which put two on base and no outs.

Hodgson’s grounder moved both Bison into scoring position for else but top hitter-all-season Brooklynn Gillen.

Sure enough, Gillen’s sharp grounder glanced off the second baseman’s glove. She earned two more RBIs since Keller and courtesy runner Josilin Miller both scored.

“That’s the way these girls play. They are selfless and do what it takes to get teammates home,” coach Gillen said. “We executed well all day.”

Perhaps McCook’s best at-bat of game two, though, was how Dani Johnson handled some tricky off-speed pitches.

Johnson fouled off at least two change-ups and resisted another. She then waited perfectly to smash that next slow ball on one hop into center field.

Morgan — who had tripled — scored easily for a 5-1 lead. Brooklynn’s ground ball soon scored Johnson.

Though McCook didn’t score again in the final two innings, a 6-3 win secured as shortstop Gillen caught one scalded Bearcat line drive.

Ironically, these teams meet again for a Saturday 2 p.m. best-of-three district final. McCook remained No. 8 among Class B teams while the Bearcats actually climbed from No. 10 to No. 9.

Watch for more details later this week.