Game 1 - Pioneers 16... Bismarck State 2 (5 Innings)
The MCC Pioneer softball team picked up where they left off Saturday. They had the bats warmed up early and often rolling to a 16-2 win in game 1 on Sunday afternoon. MCC piled up 5 runs in the 1st inning and 6 more in the 3rd to dominate game 3 of the 4 game series.
C HaiLeigh Davis (Shepherd, MT) led the game off with a double and 2B Abby Johnson (Hamilton, MT) followed that up with a 2-run home run to right field and a 2-0 lead. LF Liz Ybarra (Belgrade, MT) doubled to center and 3B Megan Toplovich (Great Falls, MT) walked. Both Ybarra and Toplovich stole the next base and DP Megan Johnson (Preston, ID) followed that up with a walk to load the bases. 1B Lilinoe Nihi (Moanalua, Hawaii) followed that up with a long bases clearing single to make the score 5-0.
After an early out in the 2nd inning, Johnson doubled to rightfield. Ybarra followed that up with an RBI double to center. CF Skyler Higgs (Livingston, MT) popped a home run to center to make the score 8-0. The bats stayed hot at Toplovich tripled and RF Mars Weaver (Rexburg, ID) and M. Johnson walked to load the bases. Nihi singled to shallow right to bring in a run and keep the bases loaded. SS Sierra John (Idaho Falls, ID) hit a sacrifice fly to score weaver for a 10-0 lead. Davis then singled bringing in Johnson to make the score 11-0.
In the 3rd inning OF Reed Johnson (Columbus, MT) singled and Jocelyn Luhan (Murray, UT) walked. Megan Johnson then singled to make the score 12-0. In the 4th inning, Hazel Eaton (Belgrade, MT) reached base on a Mystic error. Morgan Lampshire (Murray, UT) grounded in to a fielders choice as Eaton moved to 3rd with Lampshire on 1st. Alexa Lewis (Bozeman, MT) singled to score Eaton. Reed Johnson (Columbus, MT) homered to give the Pioneers a 16-0 lead. Bismarck State mustered up 2 in the bottom of the 4th just to get on the board.
Madi Henry (Spanish Fork, UT) pitched a complete game 5-hitter, allowing only 2 runs with a walk and a strikeout.
Game 2 - Pioneers 10... Bismarck State 0 (5 Innings)
Game 4 got off to a slower start but the Pioneers picked up steam with 3 runs in the 3rd and 6 more in the 4th to complete the dominating sweep of Bismarck State.
The Pioneers got on the board with a run in the 2nd inning. Megan Toplovich singled to rightfield and then stole 2nd base. Reed Johnson hit a single to left to put runners at the corners. Megan Johnson then doubled to left field scoring Toplovich but Reed Johnson was cut down at home plate trying to score.
In the 3rd inning, HaiLeigh Davis doubled to leftfield and Liz Ybarra hit a hard single to SS to put runners on the corners. Skylar Higgs reached on an error and Davis scored. Ybarra scored on a wild pitch while Higgs moved to 3rd on the same pitch. Toplovich walked, stole 2nd and Ybarra scored on a wild pitch that moved Toplovich to 3rd. Hazel Eaton (Belgrade, MT) sit a sacrifice fly to score Higgs and the Pioneers led 4-0.
Megan Johnson led off the 4th inning with a solo shot to right for a 5-0 Pioneer lead. Davis singled to left and stole 2nd. Abby Johnson followed that with an RBI single to make the score 6-0. Higgs walked and Toplovich hit an RBI single to make the score 7-0. Eaton the hit a 2 RBI double to right and Reed Johnson sinlged to score Eaton as the Pioneers led 10-0.
Alex Carr (Idaho Falls, ID) threw a complete game 2-hitter in the circle to overwhelm the Mystics. She allowed only 1 walk and struck out 2.
The Pioneers travel to Wahpeton, ND next weekend to face NDSCS in a 4-game series on Saturday and Sunday.