Baseball loses to MCC, to play elimination game Sat.

In a back-and-forth game that included five lead changes, the McLennan Community College baseball team outlasted Weatherford College 9-6 in the semifinal round of the NJCAA Southwest District Championship in Odessa Friday.

The No. 3 Coyotes (47-12) will face New Mexico Junior College in an elimination game Saturday morning at 11 a.m. The winner will take on No. 17 McLennan (44-16) Saturday at 2 p.m.

Manny Salas put Weatherford on the board first with a two-run home run in the top of the first inning.

MCC's Owen Smith countered with a sacrifice bunt, scoring McLane Helton to give the Highlanders their first run in the bottom of the second.

In the bottom of the third, McLennan found themselves with the bases loaded and no outs. Two singles and a bunt later, the Highlanders took their first lead, 3-2.

In the top of the fourth inning, Weatherford's Cayden Byrd hit a ball past the right fielder, but even though it scored one WC run, the fact that it bounced over the outfield wall kept at least one more run from scoring due to being a ground rule double. The score was tied, 3-3. An MCC wild pitch with two outs scored another run and Weatherford took a 4-3 lead.

McLennan took that lead right back in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single and yet another bunt; 5-4 MCC.

Coyote second baseman J.C. Davis made a spectacular catch and throw to first in the bottom of the fifth, ending the inning before more damage could be done.

Byrd was back in the top of the sixth, hitting a two-run shot to right field to flip the score back to Weatherford, 6-5.

But the Highlanders returned the favor with a two-run homer of their own off the bat of Marcus Smith, giving McLennan the lead for good.

Five MCC pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts.

Byrd was 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run for Weatherford. Mason Ashlock was 2-for-4 with a run.

Trent Collier went six innings for the Coyotes, allowing seven hits, five earned runs and three walks with four strikeouts. Rodney Pena pitched the final two innings with two hits, one run, one walk and three strikeouts.

If WC is able to defeat both New Mexico and McLennan Saturday, that would force a deciding Sunday game against MCC, time TBD. The winner would advance to the NJCAA Division I World Series.