By Tim Kaiser, Editor-in-Chief

After nearly a month long hiatus, thanks in part to the seemingly never-ending winter, the Cougars resumed their schedule with Region XVI and MCCAC conference foe Jefferson College on March 11.

SCC (4-19) was able to get their first win of the season by taking last game of the four game “home and home” series.

Freshman pitcher Jashawn McDaniel threw 128 pitches in his nine-inning, complete game win. McDaniel threw 70 percent of his pitches for strikes including starting 80 percent of batters with first pitch strikes. Head Coach Chris Gober characterized McDaniel’s game as “the best pitching performance of the season.”

Over spring break (March 15-16), the Cougars headed south to Louisiana again, this time to play a three game set with nationally ranked Delgado. SCC gave the second-ranked team in the NJCAA all they could handle in game. On the arm of lefty pitcher Scott Huesemann, SCC took in a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the final inning. However, Delgado was able to rally to win the game in a walk-off.

“If we play like that the rest of the season we will be alright,” said Gober.

The highlight of the season thus far came in the form of the Cougars’ second conference win. On March 20, SCC beat Three Rivers in game 2 of the doubleheader 9-8 on a walk-off single by freshman shortstop Michael Crews. SCC jumped out to a 6-2 lead including a home run by freshman Cambron Womack, their first of the season. Three Rivers rallied back to tie the game 8-8 in the top of the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth, two four-pitch walks set the stage for Crews’ game-winning single.

SCC added two more wins with a sweep of a doubleheader against Lewis and Clark Community College. The Cougars won game 1 on March 25 11-2 with sophomore pitcher Spencer Pugh getting the win while throwing a complete game and surrendering just one earned run. Outfielder Zach Herman led the team at the plate with 2 RBI, while third baseman Austin Boden added two hits.

In game 2, McDaniel got his second win of the season. Lewis & Clark was only able to muster one run on four hits in the five innings McDaniel pitched. Herman had two hits and drove in three more runs. Outfielder Jack Manley also had two hits in the 8-6 win.

In their two most recent series, SCC has been swept. Last weekend (March 28-29), the Cougars traveled to Crowder and were beat four straight times by their regional rival.  On Tuesday, they played a doubleheader at Kaskaskia losing 12-2 and 12-3.

Their games Friday versus rival St. Louis CC were postponed to let the field dry another day after the torrential downpour we had this week. Therefore, SCC and St. Louis will split their four game series between Saturday and Sunday.