REBELS FALL TO KNIGHTS TWICE IN DOUBLE HEADER

The MCC Rebel Softball team played their final home games of the season on Thursday. Due to poor weather conditions earlier this season, the Rebels played host to the RTR Knights in a doubleheader. RTR has had a terrific first season in the Red Rock Conference, beating Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian in one of their two meetings. MCC had the chance to play a spoiler against the Knights by beating RTR in one of the two games. It was two good games in Slayton on Thursday, both of which would come down to the final innings.

In game one, the Rebels fell behind early, as RTR scored the first three runs of the game with single runs in the first, third, and fourth innings. Each of the runs was scored because of an MCC error. MCC rallied back in the 5th inning. Atalie Rosenbrook singled to center and then advanced to third base on an error. Elyse Paulzine sacrificed Rosenbrook in and the Rebels were on the scoreboard. MCC scored again when Calleigh Doeden walked, then Kate Blankenship. Ava Deacon bunted and a throwing error by the Knights scored Doeden, as the Rebels tied the game. MCC didn’t stop. The game remained tied into the top of the 6th inning. Thea Schneider doubled to open the 6th. She was followed by Morgan Winter, who hit a 2-run home run to put the Rebels ahead 4 to 3. The Knights led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a double and with one out, a fly ball would tie the game at 4-4. The Knights won the game in the bottom of the 7th inning. With two outs, they got a double and then a single. Maddison Burns drove in the game-winning run with a single to right field. The Knights won in walk-off fashion, 5-4.

Game two was an amazing performance by Thea Schneider. The Rebel pitcher allowed just two hits in the game, striking out 7 as she went toe to toe with the Knights Kya Alderson, who allowed 4 hits and struck out 7. The Knights scored the first run in the game in the top of the 6th inning when Alderson singled and advanced on a wild pitch to second base. Alderson scored on another clutch single by Burns. The Knights scored again in the top of the 7th inning, as the Rebels committed another two throwing errors that cost them a run. The Rebels offense had more hits than the Knights, but they struggled to put hits together. In both the 6th and 7th innings the Rebels got base runners to first with less than two outs but couldn’t bring them in and the Knights got the win, 2-0.

Kya Alderson picked up two wins in the circle for the Knights, while striking out 20 batters in the two games. Thea Schneider took two losses in the games against RTR, while striking out 15. Both pitchers allowed two earned runs in the two games. Morgan Winter had 3 hits for the Rebels on the day, including a two-run homer. Thea Schneider had a couple of hits. For the Knights, Burns had two run-scoring singles that were both game winners. The Rebels will finish the regular season Friday in Ellsworth.