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Pioneers Drop Final 2 Games in Scottsbluff

Pioneers Drop Final 2 Games in Scottsbluff
Posted: Feb 26, 2024

Game 1 - Pioneers 4... Western Nebraska 14

Game 3 of the 4 game series in Scottsbluff, Nebraska went the way of the WNCC Cougars as the Pioneers bats turned cold getting only 4 hits and Western Nebraska slugged 4 home runs putting 5 runs on the board in the 4th inning and 7 more in the 6th inning to end the game early. 

Western Nebraska started the scoring with 2 runs in the bottom of the 3rd inning. The Pioneers finally got to the Cougar starting pitcher in the 4th inning with 4 runs starting with Cooper Morlang (2B - Rapid City, SD) triple to centerfield. Coleman Parry (1B - American Fork, UT) promptly singled in Morlang for MCC's 1st run of the game. Kade Mosely (3B - Miles City, MT) walked and then with one out Lance Bratlien (LF - Helena, MT) homered to give the Pioneers a 4-2 lead. 

That lead was short lived as WNCC rallied for 5 runs in the bottom of the 4th to take a 7-4 lead. The Cougars ended the game in the 6th inning with 7 runs. 

Max Holden (Kalispell, MT) got the start for the Pioneers and pitched 2 innings (H, 3 SO). Brady Bickett (Rapid City, SD) pitched the next inning (3 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 3 SO) and gave way to Taichi Fuchinaga (Hololulu, HI) for the next 2.2 innings (6 H, 8 R, 2 BB, 4 SO). Lucas Smith (Post Falls, ID) finished the game allowing 3 hits and a run. 

Inside the Box Score

  • Western Nebraska pounded out 13 hits (5 HR) and the Pioneers had 4 (3 in the 4th innings).
  • MCC had 2 errors and WNCC had none.
  • Cougar pitchers struck out 11 Pioneers. Pioneer pitchers struck out 10. 
  • Pioneer pitchers walked 6 Cougar batters. Cougar pitchers walked only 2 Pioneers. 
  • WNCC had 3 stolen bases.

 

Game 2 - Pioneers 6... Western Nebraska 19

The Pioneers got off to a solid start in the final game of the 4-game series scoring 3 runs in the 2nd inning and 3 more in the 4th inning to take a 6-1 lead. That Pioneer lead vanished quickly as the Cougars cut the lead to 6-4 with 3 runs in the 4th and then opened the floodgates with 15 runs in the bottom of the 5th inning for a 19-6 win for the Cougars. 

Jaden Salazar (RF - Palatine, IL) led off the 2nd inning with a solo home run. Tanner Goertz (LF - Highlands Ranch, CO) followed that home run with a single. He moved to 2nd on a Pioneer ground out and scored after a double by Bryan Roselles (C - Rapid City, SD). Jessen West (SS - Billings, MT) followed that with a RBI double of his own and the Pioneers led 3-0. Western Nebraska added a run in the bottom of the 2nd. 

In the top of the 4th, Lucas Smith (CF) singled to centerfield and Dyson Kinnaman (3B - Belgrade, MT) dropped a 2-run bomb for a 5-1 lead. Roselles doubled again and was driven in on a single by West for a 6-1 lead.  It was all Cougars from there with 18 runs over the next 2 innings. 

Jessen West was 2-3 (2B, 2 RBI) at the plate and Bryan Roselles was 3-3 (2 2B, 2 R, RBI). 

Masyon Shively (Three Forks, MT) got the start for the Pioneers on the mound and pitched 1.1 innings (H, R, 2 BB, 3 SO). Jacob Walker (Brisbane, Australia) filled in for the next 2.2 innings (9 H, 7 R, 5 BB, SO) and Sam Hall (Eureka, MT) pitched 0.1 innings (3 H, 6 R, BB). Chandler Smith (Miles City, MT) pitched 0.1 innings (4 R, 2 BB, SO) and Mason Peters (Columbia Falls, MT) finished the final 1.1 innings (2 H, R, BB, SO).

Inside the Box Score

  •  Western Nebraska kicked out 15 hits and the Pioneers had 11. 
  • Western Nebraska had the only error of the game. 
  • Cougar pitchers struck out 9 Pioneer hitters. Pioneer pitchers had 6 strikeouts. 
  • Pioneer pitchers walked 11 batters and Cougar pitchers walked only 2. 
  • Each team had 2 stolen bases.

The Pioneers are 3-5 on the season and head to Arizona for spring break trip. The first game is Saturday against the Dakota Wesleyan JV team at 4:00 PM in Tucson.