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Pioneer Baseball Starts Arizona Trip 2-1

Pioneer Baseball Starts Arizona Trip 2-1
Posted: Mar 04, 2024

Game 1 - Pioneers 7... Dakota Wesleyan JV 4 (Saturday, March 2)

The MCC Pioneers started their 2024 Spring Break baseball trip the right way with a 7-4 win over the Dakota Wesleyan JV on Saturday in Tucson, Arizona. The Pioneers scored 7 runs over the 2nd and 3rd innings and then held on late to take the win. The Pioneers got a big lift off the bat of Bryan Roselles (C - Rapid City, SD) as the sophomore blasted a 3-run home run to give the Pioneers a 7-0 lead in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Roselles finished 2-3 (HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) and was one of only 2 Pioneers to crack multiple hits in the game. Jace Notbohm (RF - Miles City, MT) was also 2-3 (3B, 2 R).

MCC picked up 4 runs in the 2nd inning after Notbohm led the inning off with a single, and Roselles singled with one out to put runners on the corners. Dyson Kinneman (2B - Belgrade, MT) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jessen West (SS - Billings, MT) was then hit by a pitch to score Notbohm. Brady Bickett (CF - Rapid City, SD) promptly cleared the bases with a triple to to right field. 

In the 3rd, Notbohm led the inning off with a triple and Jaden Salazar (LF - Palatine, IL) was hit by a pitch and Roselle homered to give the Pioneers a 7-0 lead. Dakota Wesleyan picked up 2 runs in the 4th and 2 more in the 6th but couldn't get any closer. 

Mason Peters (Columbia Falls, MT) got the start for the Pioneers and had a very strong 4 innings (5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 9 SO). Brandon Hegedus (Littleton, CO) pitched the next 2 innings (3 R, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 SO) and Sam Hall (Eureka, MT) came in to close the final inning (H, SO).

Inside the Box Score

  • The Pioneers had 6 hits and Dakota Wesleyan had 9.
  • MCC pitchers struck out 13 batters and didn't walk any. 
  • DWU pitchers struck out 7 Pioneer batters and walked 2. 
  • Jessen West had the only stolen base of the game. 
  • Each team committed one error. 
  • 5 Pioneers were hit by a pitch and advanced to 1st base. Dakota Wesleyan was only hit by a pitch once. 

 

Game 2 - Pioneers 8... Bismarck State 7 (Sunday, March 3)

Things were looking very bleak for the MCC Pioneers in Game 1 on Sunday morning in Tucson. Fellow MonDak Conference member Bismarck State jumped out to a 7-0 lead after 4 innings before the Pioneers rallied for an exciting 8-7 win. 

Trailing 7-0 going to the 5th inning, the Pioneer bats finally started to click. Cooper Morlang (2B - Rapid City, SD) singled with one out and advanced to 2nd on a fielder's choice and Brady Bickett singled and moved to 2nd on a throwing error while Morlang scored. Bickett advanced to 3rd on a passed ball and scored on a pinch hit single by Davis Mosier (Billings, MT). Mosier advanced to 2nd on a passed ball and scored on a single by Kade Mosely (3B - Miles City, MT). Jace Notbohm then singled to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Lance Bratlien (RF - Helena, MT) doubled to rightfield and drove in Mosely and moved Notbohm to 3rd. Tanner Goertz (LF - Highlands Ranch, CO) singled to drive in Notbohm and the Pioneers cut the lead to 7-5. 

MCC picked up another run in the 6th inning when Morlang singled again and was driven home on a double by Jessen West. 

With the game hanging in the balance in the top of the 7th and the Mystics leading 7-6, Kade Mosely started the inning with a walk. He was replaced by pinch runner Dyson Kinneman who moved to 2nd on a walk by Notbohm. Lance Bratlien quickly became the hero of the game with a triple off of the centerfield wall that scored 2 to give the Pioneers an 8-7 lead. 

Notbohm came in to close out the 7th inning and struck out 2 while allowing a walk. Trae Awbery (Miles City, MT) started on the mound and pitched 3 innings (3 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 5 SO) before giving way to a perfect 4th inning that included a strikeout for Tyler Cutler (Helena, MT). Spencer Searcey (Denver, CO) pitched 2 scoreless innings (H, 2 SO).

Cooper Morlang led the Pioneers with a 3-3 effort at the plate (2 R). Jessen West was 2-4 (RBI) and Notbohm was 2-3 (2 R, BB, SO). Lance Bratlien was 2-4 (2B, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 SO) and Tanner Goertz was 2-4 (RBI, 2 SO).

Inside the Box Score

  • MCC cracked out 14 hits and limited BSC to only 4 hits. 
  • The Pioneers had 2 errors and the Mystics had 0.
  • MCC had 2 stolen bases to none for BSC.
  • Pioneers pitchers struck out 10 Mystics and walked 5. Mystic pitchers struck out 10 Pioneers and walked 2. 

 

Game 3 - Pioneers 7... Minnesota West Technical & Community 14 (Sunday, March 3)

The Pioneers suffered a letdown after the comeback victory over Bismarck State  by giving up at least one run in every inning in a 14-7 loss to Minnesota West Technical and Community College on Sunday afternoon in Tucson. 

MCC did score 1st in the top of the 1st inning after a Jessen West bunt single he moved to 2nd on a wild pitch and to 3rd on a ground out. Kade Mosely singled to drive in West. MWTC tied it up after one inning and then scored 4 in the bottom of the 2nd to take a 5-1 lead.

MCC tied the game with 4 runs of their own in the top of the 3rd. Taichi Fuchinaga (2B-Honolulu, HI) started the inning with a walk and he advanced to 3rd on a double by West. Fuchinaga scored on a wild pitch, Mosely (DH) walked,  and Davis Mosier (3B - Billings, MT) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Tanner Goertz was hit by a pitch to score West and Casey Morgan (CF - Salt Lake City, UT) walked to score Mosely and the Pioneers trailed 5-4. Jaden Salazar then singled to drive in Mosier and tie the game. The Pioneers failed to pick up any more runs with the bases loaded and one out. 

MWCT followed that with 3 runs in the bottom of the 3rd and 2 more in the 4th. MCC got a run in the 5th after a Spencer Searcey (1B) single and a double by Fuchinaga put runners on 2nd and 3rd. West hit a sacrifice fly to score Searcey. MWTC answered with a run of their own to go ahead 11-6. MCC got one more in the 6th when Goertz singled to lead off the inning and with 2 outs he scored on a single by Searcey to give MCC their last score. 

Max Holden (Kalispell, MT) got the start for the Pioneers and pitched 1.2 innings (2 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 SO) and gave way to Lance Bratlien for 2.1 innings (2 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 7 BB, 3 SO) and Chandler Smith (Miles City, MT) for 2 innings (3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO).

Jessen West was 2-4 (2B, 2 R, RBI, SO) and Kade Mosely was 2-3 (RBI, R, 2 BB). Tanner Goertz was 2-3 (R, RBI), Spencer Searcey was 2-4 (R, RBI, SO), and Taichi Fuchinaga was 2-3 (2B, R, BB).

Inside the Box Score

  • MCC smacked 11 hits to only 7 for MWCT. 
  • MCC pitchers walked 14 batters hit 3 other batters. MWCT pitchers walked 7 and hit 2 Pioneers. 
  • MCC committed 4 errors. 
  • MCC pitchers had 8 strikeouts and MWCT pitchers had 11. 
  • MWCT stole 4 bases and the Pioneers stole 3. 

MCC is 5-6 and plays Wheaton College JV today at 9:30 AM and California Miramar University at 12:30 before taking Tuesday off.