Thunderducks walk off Indians; rain claims three games
COUNTRY FOREST, Texas – After Friday rain postponed the first of the four scheduled weekend games in Texas, the McCook Community College baseball team lost a 4-3 game Saturday to Dallas College-Richland. As rain started to fall, the Thunderducks took the game with a seventh-inning walk off. Rain claimed the second game of the doubleheader as well as Sunday games against Dallas North Lake.
“This was another tough one,” said MCC Coach Jon Olsen. “It was just a really well-pitched game all the way around.”
Three MCC errors led to two unearned runs to undermine the strong starting pitching from sophomore Myles Chabi (Sydney, Australia).
“Myles Chabi was really good today. It should have been a five-inning outing with no runs, but we couldn’t make a play to finish the bottom of the fifth and then just ran into just some bad misfortune in the bottom of the seventh,” said Olsen. “As soon as we went out it started raining hard, we walked the first guy and then gave up a hit to get walked off, just felt like it was a tough way to end a really competitive game.”
Pitchers for both teams dominated and the game early and the game remained scoreless until the MCC fourth when sophomore Michael Quick (Oshawa, Ontario) singled with one out then scored on a two-out single by sophomore Luke Bies (La Vista).
Chabi held the Thunderduck offense in check through the first four innings. In the fifth inning, Richland got a pair of one-out singles then scored two runs with two outs on an MCC error.
Chabi pitched 4.2 innings, allowing five hits and no earned runs. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out eight. Sophomore Ethan Badcock (Adelaide, Australia) came on to record the final out of the fifth inning with MCC trailing 2-1.
Freshman Cory Wouters (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), who entered the game with the third-best batting average (.500) in the nation, doubled with one out in the sixth inning then scored on a double by Quick to tie the game. Quick scored on a Richland error to give MCC the 3-2 lead.
The Thunderducks tied the game in the bottom of the sixth on a double, an error, and a bunt single.
MCC was retired in order in the seventh.
“I’ll give their guy credit he didn’t walk anyone, but we just didn’t ever string anything together offensively,” said Olsen.
Richland was able to win the game on a leadoff walk, an infield interference call and a walk-off double.
Badcock was tagged with the loss in 1.1 innings of relief. He allowed three hits, two earned runs, one walk and one strikeout.
MCC was held to six hits with two each by Wouters and Quick. Wouters went two-for-three to up his season average to .510 (26 hits in 51 at bats).
Dallas College-Richland goes to (18-9).
MCC falls to 5-11 and 1-2 on the spring break trip through Oklahoma and Texas with three games postponed by rain.
“Honestly it was just a tough trip with the weather but that is baseball. We need to keep playing hard,” said Olsen. “We put ourselves in position a lot more lately to come out on top, just need to make one or two more plays to swing those games.”
The Indians travel to Hays, Kan. Tuesday for a 2 p.m. game against Hutchinson Community College (16-8).
MCC will open Region IX play at home March 23-24 with a four-game series against Lamar Community College (10-16).
All the latest information for MCC baseball including up-to-date schedule and changes as well as statistics, rosters and photos can be found on the MCC Athletics website, www.mccindians.com
