MCC REBEL GIRLS SOFTBALL TEAM STRUGGLES WITH EARLY SEASON PLAY

April 16 TMB at MCC

The MCC Rebel Girls softball team played their third home game of the week on Thursday. The Rebels played host to the Tracy Milroy Balaton Panthers. It was not a conference game but with both teams in Section 3a, it was an important game for the two teams and it would be a back and forth game that would come down to the final inning.

Kate Blankenship was in the circle for the Rebels and Blankenship was throwing strikes. In seven innings she threw just 79 pitches 53 of them were strikes. The Panthers have a solid hitting team that is very aggressive and the Rebels played a solid defensive game. The Rebel outfield was strong, coming up with some big catches that prevented runs. Reese Wajer played a great game at second base for the second straight game, that limited the Panthers scoring chances. The Panthers collected 7 hits in the game. They scored two runs in the second inning and 1 in the 5th. The big inning for the Panthers came in the 6th where they scored 3 runs, two of which came on Rebel mistakes, not big hits by the Panthers.

At the plate, the Rebels scored single runs in each of the first three innings. Ava Deacon singled and stole second base. Later she would score on a ground out by Kate Blankenship. In the second, with two outs the Rebels got hit by a pitch and then a walk. Danyel Neilson stepped to the plate and singled to left field, scoring a run. In the third inning, Blankenship singled and stole second base. Kat Miller was walked intentionally, to set up a force play at every base. It worked, as Calleigh Doeden hit a ground ball to third, forcing out Blankenship. Joelle Hellewell then stepped up and singled to left field, driving in the Rebels’ third run of the game, giving MCC the lead. The Rebels scored 2 runs in the fifth inning to take a two run lead. Calleigh Doeden singled in Kate Blankenship and an error by the Panthers, allowed a second run for the Rebels. MCC led 5-3. But in the 6th inning, the Panthers scored three runs to take the lead. MCC got a runner to third base in the bottom of the 7th but were unable to tie the game. The Panthers got the one run win, 6-5.

Kate Blankenship took the loss for the Rebels despite pitching a really solid game for MCC. At the plate, she collected 3 hits in 4 at bats with 1 RBI and a run scored. Danyel Neilson had two hits and an RBI for the Rebels. Gretchen Lanoue picked up the win for the Panthers allowing 5 runs 4 of them earned on 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 2. The Panthers’ defense was terrific and though they had 2 errors in the game, they made big plays to preserve the win. MCC will be back in action on Tuesday at RTR before games against Edgerton/SWC and Adrian Ellsworth later this week.

April 21 MCC at RTR

The MCC Rebel Softball team has played some hard fought close games over the past two weeks. The Rebels had tough luck losses to LQPV and TMB where the difference between and win and a loss would have been a single out or one base hit with runners on base. On Monday, the Rebels lost another battle, this time to the RTR Knights.

The Rebels fell behind early against the Knights in Tyler. RTR scored three runs in the first innings and two more in the second to take a 5-0 lead. The Knights took advantage of key hits, a handful of walks and a grandslam by Laken Baartman to put up 14 runs in the first four innings of the game.

The Rebels collected just 3 hits in the game and though they would get a couple runners in scoring position they didn’t score until there was two outs in the top of the 5th inning. Reese Wajer hit a line drive single to right field to score two runs but that would be all the Rebels would get. RTR got the win 14-2.

Kate Blankenship took the loss for the Rebels in the circle. She allowed 8 walks, 7 hits, and 1 hit batter while striking out 7. The Kngihts did a great job of driving in the baserunners when they reached base. The top 3 hitters in the lineup for the Knights would each connect on 2 hits and drove in a total of 9 runs. Baartman led the team with 4 RBI’s. Ava Deacon had two hits for the Rebels and Wajer had one hit while driving in two runs. Jada Fricke picked up the win for the Knights pitching 5 innings, striking out 7, and allowing just 3 hits and 2 runs.

MCC will be back in action on Thursday weather permitting.