Game 1 - Pioneers 5... Northeastern JC 11

The NJC Plainsmen scored 10 runs in the 1st 3 innings in game 1 on Sunday afternoon and walked away with a 11-5 win and 3rd straight victory over the Pioneers. The Plainsmen roughed up Pioneer starter Jack Corriveau (Kalispell, MT) getting 6 hits and 9 runs in Corriveau's 2.0 innings pitched. Corriveau walked 3 Plainsmen and struck out 1. He was replaced by Mason Flanary (Rexburg, ID) who went 3.0 innings and gave up 2 runs on 4 hits. Noah Aliff (Centralia, WA) pitched the final inning of the game and gave up 1 hit. 

The Pioneers collected 9 hits on the day including a strong 2-4 (double, HR, 2 RBI) effort from 3B Tim Holyk (Nanaimo, BC). 2B Tyler Tenney (Helena, MT) also had 2 hits (2-3) with a run scored. CF Jake Lacey (Gillette, WY) went 1-3 with 2 RBI's and Jaeden Jordahl (Billings, MT) singled in the other run for the Pioneers.

Game 2 - Pioneers 9... Northeastern JC 8

The MCC Pioneers used a 6-run 5th inning and then held on late as the Plainsmen cut a 9-3 deficit to 1 and the Pioneers salvaged a victory in the final game of a 4-game set in Sterling, CO. The Pioneers got things going in the 3rd inning when C Cole Pulliam (Dillon, MT) singled and Jordahl doubled to put runners on 2nd and 3rd. Holyk then knocked a 3-run blast to right field and a 3-0 lead. 

The Plainsmen knotted things at 3-3 with a 3-run inning of their own in the 4th. In the game changing 5th inning, the Pioneers got a run after Grant Gabbert walked, was moved to 2nd on a sacrifice by Pulliam and moved to 3rd on a hit by Jordahl. Gabbert then scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-3. Holyk followed that play up with his 2nd blast of the day, a 3-run shot to centerfield and a 7-3 lead. RF Ian Krump (Rapid City, SD) then singled and 1B Kaleb Breeze (West Valley City, UT) walked putting runners on 1st and 2nd. 2B Ryota Kusumoto singled in Krump and Breeze after they had advanced on a passed ball. 

The Plainsmen cut the lead to 9-8 in the 7th but Jay Neugebauer (Rapid City, SD) got the final 2 outs with the bases empty. 

The Pioneers accounted for 10 hits in the game. Jordahl was 3-4 with 2 runs scored. Holyk finished 3-4 with 2 HR and 6 RBI. Clay Prell had the other hit for the Pioneers. 

Caeden Riley (Torrington, WY) got the start on the mound for MCC, going 3.1 innings and giving up 3 runs on 5 hits. Riley struck out 5 Plainsmen and walked 1. Patrick Dietz came in for a solid 1.2 innings and gave up a hit, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Cameron Murphy (Torrington, WY) pitched a perfect 6th inning, and Neugebauer finished things in the 7th giving up 5 runs on 4 hits with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. 

The Pioneers will head south again next Saturday and Sunday with a 4-game series against Western Nebraska CC in Scottsbluff.