Game 1 (NIC 11... MCC 8)

The MCC Pioneer Softball team made a valient charge on Tuesday afternoon after falling behind 6-0 after 2 innings but couldn't make up all of the deficit and lost 11-8 to the defending NWACC Champion North Idaho College.

Taylor Woolley (Hamer, ID) went 3-4 at the plate including a long distance home run and the Pioneers cracked 10 hits off of the solid Cardinal pitching staff. Megan Krantz (Cheney, WA), Kassidy Kinzie (Plains, MT), and Autumn Porter (Miles City, MT) were all 2-4 at the plate and Kinzie added the other home run for the Pioneers. 

North Idaho piled up 14 hits off of Pioneer starter Kinzie. Kinzie went the full 6 innings walking 3 Cardinals and striking out 3. 

Game 2 

MCC jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning on the strength of an Ashlin Hiller (Lolo, MT) 3-run homer and Megan Krantz (Cheney, WA) driving in 2 earlier in the inning but the Pioneer pitchers couldn't hold on as North Idaho College rallied for 11-7 victory in game 2. Taylor Woolley belted a 2 run homer in the 4th to give the Pioneers a 7-4 lead but the Cardinals added 6 in the bottom of the 4th to cap off the comeback. 

The Pioneers had 11 hits and 4 errors in game 2. NIC also had 11 hits but only committed 1 error. The Pioneers struggled in the circle again as Kyla Johnson gave up 10 runs on 8 hits and walked 4 NIC batters in 4 innings. She struck out 2 before giving way to Kassidy Kinzie who pitched the last 2 innings and gave up 1 run on 3 hits. 

MCC (3-6) will travel to Moses Lake, WA for a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon against Big Bend CC.