Game 1 - Pioneers 2... Central Lakes 7
The MCC Pioneers couldn't get much going at the plate and Central Lakes took advantage of 3 Pioneer errors as the Raiders took the 1st game of a doubleheader 7-2 on Friday afternoon.
The Raiders scored 1st in the 2nd inning after an error brought in their run for a 1-0 lead. The Pioneers then tied the game in the top of the 3rd when SS Jaeden Jordahl (Billings, MT) singled to centerfield. Reigning National Player of the Week 3B Tim Holyk returned to the lineup after sitting a few games with a nagging hamstring injury promptly tripled to center to drive in Jordahl.
Central Lakes then combatted that with 2 more of their own in the bottom of the 3rd to take a 3-1 lead. MCC cut that lead in half in the top of the 5th when LF Grant Gabbert (Thorton, CO) doubled to leftfield and Jordahl was hit by a pitch. Holyk then came to the plate and the Pioneers pulled a double steal to put runners on 2nd and 3rd. Holyk then hit a sacrifice fly to left to bring in Gabbert.
Things went south for MCC in the bottom of the inning when the Raiders hit a 3-run inside the park home run and tacked on one more for a 7-2 advantage that the Pioneers could not rally from. 1B Kaleb Breeze (West Valley City, UT) had the other hit for the Pioneers.
Cameron Murphy (Torrington, WY) got the start for MCC and pitched 3.1 innings, giving up 3 runs on 3 hits. Murphy recorded 6 strikeouts and walked 2. Mason Flanary (Rexburg, ID) took to the hill for the final 2.2 innings of the game and gave up 4 runs on 3 hits. Flanary walked 4 Raiders and struck out 1.
Game 2 - Pioneers 10... Central Lakes 6
In a game that saw some big innings and late game heroics, MCC walked out of the evening with a 10-6 win over Central Lakes to salvage a split of the Friday twin bill. This time, the Pioneers got off to the quick start with 2 runs in the bottom of the 1st. DH Tim Holyk was hit by a pitch and SS Tyler Tenney (Helena, MT) tripled to centerfield and then scored on an error for a 2-0 lead.
That lead swelled to 6-0 as the Pioneers tallied 4 runs in the 2nd inning after there were 2 outs. 1B Bridger Erickson (St. Anthony, ID) drew a 2-out walk and that was followed with a single by 3B Kam Kostial (St. Anthony, ID) and an RBI single by LF Matt Burton (Helena, MT). 2B Dalton Martin (Gillette, WY) then reached on an error that allowed Kostial to score and the Pioneers led 4-0. Holyk then tallied another RBI with a single to the gap at 2B that scored Burton and Martin advanced to 3rd. Martin scored on a wild pitch and the rally ended with a commanding Pioneer lead.
Central Lakes closed the gap in the 3rd with 4 runs of their own and then tacked on another run in each of the 5th and 6th innings to tie the game at 6. As the Pioneers have shown multiple times on the Arizona trip, they are capable of late rallies and that happened again as MCC quickly put up a 6 spot in the bottom of the 6th for the go ahead runs.
PH Ian Krump led the 6th inning off with a double, advanced after stealing to 3rd and scored on a Kaleb Breeze sacrifice fly. Jaeden Jordahl then recorded another pinch hit single and then moved to 3rd after Gabbert reached on an error and moved to 2nd. Martin then walked to load the bases and the hot bat of Holyk continued as he doubled in 2 runs and moved Martin to 3rd base. Tenney then bunted and reached on an error that scored Martin to close the scoring.
Jeremy Gee (Bringham City, UT) started and pitched 4.1 innings. Gee gave up 5 runs on 7 hits, striking out 4 Raiders and walking 3. Noah Aliff (Centralia, WA) finished the final 2.2 innings and gave up a run on 3 hits. He struck out 2 batters.
The Pioneers are now 9-8 on the season and play Carthage College at 9:00 AM Saturday and Madison College at 3:00 PM.