Game 1 - Pioneers 8... Bay College 0 (6 Innings)
Pitcher Kassidy Kinzie had it rolling on Sunday morning in Rosemount, MN. The Freshman pitchers tossed a complete game 1-hitter that included 10 strikeouts as the Pioneers cruised to a 8-0 win in the 1st round of the Region XIII Playoffs. Kinzie threw 79 pitches and 53 were strikes as she walked only 1 Norse batter.
Offensively for the Pioneers, they scored 2 in the bottom of the 2nd inning after DP Kelealani Waiau doubled and 1B Hazel Eaton singled. SS Abby Johnson then drove in Waiau with a single and Eaton scored on a fielder's choice by C Janie Nelson. MCC tacked on 2 more in the 4th after a single by Lilinoe Nihi, a RF Reagan Harper walk, and a Megan Toplovich single loaded the bases. Toplovich and Harper then scored on a single by Autumn Porter and a 4-0 Pioneer lead.
The lead went to 5-0 as the bases were loaded and Harper reached first on a catcher's interference. In the bottom of the 6th, 3B Oliva Cook homered to left and a 6-0 lead. Eaton then singled and Ashlin Hiller doubled putting runners on 2nd and 3rd. Janie Nelson then had a 2 RBI single to end the game with a 8-run lead after 6 innings.
Game 2 - Pioneers 8... Dawson 4
The MCC Pioneers defeated Dawson 8-4 on Sunday afternoon to advance to the championship of the Region XIII Playoffs in Rosemount, MN. Dawson will play Bay College Monday morning with the winner to face the Pioneers at 12:00 PM MST in the championship. Either of those teams would have to beat Miles twice in order to advance while the Pioneers need only one more win to advance to the North Plains District Championship.
The Pioneers scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning and extended the lead to 7-0 after 3 innings before holding on for a 8-4 victory and a spot in the title tilt. LF Taylor Woolley started things off with a walk and 2B Tessa Della Silva singled to put runners at 1st and 2nd. Woolley advanced to 3rd on a fly ball out by Autumn Porter. DP Kelealani Waiau had a RBI single that moved Della Silva to 3rd. P Hazel Eaton then doubled in Della Silva and Waiau and SS Abby Johnson then singled in Eaton for a 4-0 lead.
In the bottom of the 3rd, 3B Olivia Cook reached on a Dawson error. Waiau followed that up with a double leaving runners on 2nd and 3rd. Johnson then walked to load the bases and 1B Lilinoe Nihi came up huge with a 2 RBI single and a 6-0 lead. The Pioneers made it 7-0 on a Dawson error that scored Johnson.
Dawson plated 1 in the top of the 4th to make it 7-1 before the Pioneers scored on an error in the bottom of 4th and an 8-1 lead. Dawson scored 2 in the 5th and 1 in the 6th for the final score of 8-4.
Hazel Eaton got the start in the circle and went 5 2/3 innings giving up 9 hits, 4 runs, and a walk. Kassidy Kinzie came in to close things out over 1 1/3 and not allowing a run.