The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team let two games slip away as Southeast Community College scored late runs to earn a doubleheader sweep Saturday at Cleveland Field.

                In the first game, Trent Richter took a 5-1 lead into the seventh before Southeast scored seven times to earn the 8-5 win.

                The second game was high scoring as the Cougars and Storm combined for 26 runs and 22 hits. In the end, Southeast scored seven runs in the eighth and ninth inning to earn the 15-11 win.

                The first game WNCC outhit Southeast 7-6, but it was the seventh that saw the Cougars let the game slip away.

                WNCC grabbed a 4-0 lead in the second. Jordan Rollins stared the second with a double and scored on a Matt Womack double. Sergio Tarango followed with a run-scoring single for a 2-0 lead. After Quinn McCafferty was hit, Joey Olson double in both runners for the 4-0 lead.

                The score stayed that way until the fifth when Southeast scored just one. WNCC held a 4-1 lead going into the seventh when the Storm stormed back with seven runs including a grand slam. All the scoring came with two outs as the Cougars also committed a couple fielding errors in the frame.

                WNCC tried to come back as McCafferty walked and Olson was hit by a pitch. Michael Felton scored McCafferty with a single. WNCC had the bases loaded, but couldn’t get the tying or winning runs in.

                Seven different Cougars had at least one hit in the contest. Joey Olson had a double with two RBIs to lead the team.

                Richter went 6 2/3 innings in allowing four hits and three runs in striking out two. Vanthillo took the loss, in allowing five runs on two hits.

                The second game saw Southeast score three in the first and one in the second for a 4-0 lead. WNCC came back with a seven-spot in the second to take a 7-4 lead. The second inning saw  Womack and McCafferty each earn walks. Jack Jones followed with a walk to load the bases. With two outs, Felton to score three runs. Luis Alcantara then walked and Rollins delivered a 3-run home to put WNCC up 6-4.

                Dillon Fabricus followed with a walk and scored on a Womack double for the 7-4 lead.

                McCook came right back and scored three in the third to tie the game at 7-7. WNCC answered in the bottom of the frame with a single run as Jack Jones singled in Joe Kinneberg for the 8-7 lead.

                WNCC went up 11-7 with three more runs in the fourth. Alcantara started the fourth with a single followed by Fabricus earning a walk. Womack drew a walk to load the bases. Kinneberg scored one run on a fielders choice hit and then Womack came around to score on an error. Jones made it 11-7 with a single that scored Kinneberg.

                WNCC didn’t score again the rest of the game, coming up empty in the next five innings. In the meantime, McCook added a single run in the sixth to cut the lead to 11-8. McCook grabbed a 12-11 lead in the eighth and then added three more in the ninth for the 15-11 win.

                Womack, Kinneberg, and Jones all had two hits for the Cougars. Womack had two doubles with two runs scored and a RBI. Kinneberg scored two runs with a RBI. Also scoring two runs was Alcantara. Felton had one hit with three RBIs.

                The two teams will be back in action Sunday for a doubleheader beginning at noon at Cleveland Field. Sunday’s contest will be the last regular season home game for WNCC.

Game 1

Southeast           000 010 7 – 8 6 0

WNCC                   040 000 1 – 5 7 7

LP – Owen Vanthillo.

2B – Luis Alcantara, Joey Olson, Jordan Rollins, Matt Womack.

Game 2

Southeast           313 001 043 – 15 11 2

WNCC                   071 300 000 – 11 11 7

LP – Gavin Harris.

2B – Matt Womack 2.

3B – Michael Felton.

HR – Jordan Rollins.

WNCC softball team falls to McCook in home opener

The Western Nebraska Community College softball team dropped a doubleheader to McCook Community College on Saturday in the Cougar’s first home games of the season.

                The Cougars fell 20-5 in the first game as the Cougars had five hits, four of which were extra base hits, compared to 21 hits for McCook, including three home runs and eight RBIs by Taryn Jenkins.

                The second game was much better for the Cougars as they stayed competitive with the Indians before falling 15-7 as Bella Coffman had a home run in the contest that cleared both outfield fences.

                The first game saw McCook score two in the first to watch WNCC come back to cut the deficit in half with a run. Mackenzie Bakel started things being hit by a pitch. Coffman than singled. Bakel scores on a throwing error by the catcher.

                McCook added six in the second for an 8-1 lead. WNCC answered with two in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead to 8-3. Briana Henson was hit by a pitch and then Chaydon Chong earned a walk. Emma Schweitzer then double down the rightfield line to score both runs.

                McCook put the game away after that, scoring twice in the third and then eight in the fourth for a 18-3 lead. The Indians added two more in the fifth to lead 20-3. WNCC came back with two in the fifth as Bakel led off with a double and then Lexi Butterfield delivered a 2-run home run.

                Coffman led the Cougars with two hits, including a triple. Butterfield had a home run with two RBIs. Bakel scored two runs in the game.

                The second game was a lot better for WNCC even though they lost. The Cougars limited the home run balls and they almost outhit McCook. The Indians had 13 hits to WNCC’s 11.

                Schweitzer led the Cougars at the plate with three hits including a double with two RBIs and two runs scored. Chong, Coffman, and Bakel all had two hits as well. Coffman had a big home run that sailed over the second outfield fence.

                Erin Hanafin had one hit with three RBIs, while Chong added two runs scored with her two hits.

                Both teams scored one run in the first inning. The Cougars run came as Schweitzer and Bakel each singled followed by Coffman earning a walk to load the bases. Hanafin then drew a walk to force in the first run of the game.

                Neither team scored in the second inning. It was the third inning that saw McCook score nine runs to lead 10-1. WNCC wasn’t about to quit. The Cougars scored on in the third on Coffman’s monster home run. The fourth inning, after McCook went up 11-2, the Cougars came back with four runs to make a game of it once again.

                Chong led off with single and then Chloe Cronquist laid down a bunt and reached base. Schweitzer followed with a run-scoring single that also scored Cronquist on an error. Bakel then singled to put two on. With two outs, Hanafin singles to score two runs to cut the lead to 11-6.

                McCook scored twice in the fifth to make it 13-6, but WNCC answered with one run in the bottom of the frame. Schweitzer blasted a 2-out double to score Chong with the run.

                McCook added two more runs in the sixth and WNCC had a chance to extend the game, but couldn’t get the run home as McCook ended the game on the 8-run rule.

                WNCC and McCook will be back in action Sunday for another doubleheader at Volunteer Field starting at 11 a.m.

Game 1

McCook               262 82 – 20 21 2

WNCC                   120 02 – 5 5 1

LP – Lexi Butterfield

2B – Mackenzie Bakel, Emma Schweitzer.

3B – Bella Coffman.

HR – Lexi Butterfield.

Game 2

McCook               109 122 – 15 13 4

WNCC                   101 410 – 7 11 1

LP – Lexi Butterfield.

2B – Lexi Butterfield, Emma Schweitzer.

HR – Bella Coffman.

WNCC women’s soccer falls to Western Wyoming

A day after beating Central Wyoming College 5-1, the Western Nebraska Community College women’s soccer team couldn’t find the offense a tough Western Wyoming Community College team, falling to the Mustangs 2-0 at Landers Soccer Complex.

                WNCC’s offense was there as they had plenty of shots in the contest. In fact, the Cougars managed 19 shots in the game with six of them on goal. The Cougars just couldn’t get the yellow ball into the back of the net.

                WNCC’s defense played OK in the win as they held down the Western Wyoming offense. The Mustangs 15 shots with six on goal.

                Western Wyoming struck first with 18:34 to play when the Mustangs Hayden Rupe found the back of the net. There was no other scoring the rest of the half as WWCC held the 1-0 lead.

                The second half was evenly played as WNCC had several scoring chances early, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Western Wyoming added an insurance goal on a play that Graisy Greener got the rebound off a save by WNCC goalkeeper Ana Von Ruden and found the back of the net.

                WNCC didn’t quit, though. With about 10 minutes to play, Ana Caroline-Lopez had a good shot on goal that just went high.

                Von Ruden had four saves in net while Western Wyoming goalkeeper Rachel Hicks had six saves in net.

                The competitiveness of the game was there as both teams played a really clean match. No yellow cards were issued and only eight fouls, four on each team, were called.

                WNCC will be back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Casper, Wyoming, to face Casper College. The Cougars will then be at home Friday April 30 when they host Northwest College in a men’s and women’s doubleheader followed by a home men’s and women’s doubleheader Sunday against Trinidad State Junior College.