Photo: WNCC first baseman Rory Weizenegger makes a diving catch in game two with McCook.

The Western Nebraska Community College softball team played tough defense against No. 25 McCook Community College Sunday afternoon at Volunteer Field. Despite the two seven-inning games, McCook had just a little bit more offense in claiming the doubleheader sweep.

The first game was a pitcher’s dual early as McCook’s Paige Warren and WNCC’s Abbey Arntsen locked into a good battle with a 3-0 McCook lead for most of the game until late when the Indians won 10-0.

The second contest was also a pitcher’s dual as WNCC’s Gracie Holm and McCook’s Hannah Schneider were dueling it out. In the end, McCook came away with the 7-1 win.

The Cougars fall to 10-18 overall and 3-9 in conference play. McCook moves to 30-4 overall and 15-1 in the conference.

WNCC will be on the road for the next three weekends for conference games. First up is a trip to Beatrice to face Southeast Community College on Friday and Saturday.

The second game was a well-played contest. McCook grabbed an early 4-0 lead after scoring one in the first on a solo home run and then three times in the second.

McCook later added two in the fourth to lead 6-0. The Cougars finally got a run across in the fifth inning when Ellie Soper reaches on errant throw which Soper took second. Soper scored one batter later on an Adi Duke double.

Neither team scored in the sixth. McCook added one in the seventh and WNCC had something going in the seventh, but stranded the runner at third.

The Cougars managed just three hits in the contest as Duke had a double and RBI. The other hits were singles by Soper and Jasmine Castro.

Holm gave up four earned runs while striking out three while Schneider struck out five and allowed three hits.

WNCC did get hits, but the McCook defense played strong defense in all four games of the series. McCook had just two errors in the four games Friday and Saturday and the Indians defense ranks up there as one of the top defenses in the nation. The two errors McCook committed came in the second game on Sunday.

The first game was also competitive as McCook held a slim 4-0 lead through six innings with the two pitchers going head-to-head. McCook’s Warren picked up her 12th win of the year as she struck out five and walked six batters in allowing just two hits. WNCC’s Arntsen also pitched well, scattering 12 hits and striking out two while allowing five unearned runs.

Neither team scored through the first three innings. However, the Cougars missed a golden scoring chance in the third when Tina Horton doubled and the Cougars loaded the bases with just one out. The Cougars couldn’t get a run in.

McCook answered with three in the top of the fourth scoring all three runs with two outs. The Indians added a single run in the fifth for a 4-0 lead and then had six in the seventh, all coming with two outs.

Tuna Horton had both hits for the Cougars in the contest.

Game 1
McCook 000 301 6 – 10 12 1

WNCC 000 000 0 – 0 2 2

LP – Abbey Arntsen.

2B – Tina Horton.

Game 2
McCook 130 200 1 – 7 9 2

WNCC 000 010 0 – 1 3 2

LP – Gracie Holm.

2B – Adi Duke.

WNCC baseball team splits with Trinidad on Sunday

TRINIDAD, Colo. -- The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team had plenty of offense, but in the end, the Cougars and Trinidad State College split a pair of games on Sunday in Trinidad, Colorado, of Empire Conference games.

The first game saw WNCC smack five home runs including scoring nine times in the seventh inning in posting a 19-8 win. The second contest saw Trinidad score three times in the bottom of the ninth to come back for a 10-9 win.

WNCC goes to 13-22 overall and 5-3 in conference play. The Cougars are in third place in the conference, just behind Northeastern (8-0) and McCook (7-1), while Otero is in fourth at 4-4.

WNCC will be back in action Friday and Saturday when they travel to Lamar Community College for a 4-game series. Lamar is 14-20 overall and 2-6 in conference play.

The first game was while as the Cougars scored in five of the seven innings. However, the Cougars trailed 1-0 after two innings. It was what they did after that which was impressive, which was 19 runs.

WNCC plated four in the third to grab a 4-1 lead and then added two each in the fourth and fifth inning.

The third all started when Austin Cooper hammered a 2-run home run. Harrison Hart followed with a run-scoring double followed by Jase Satterfield singling in another run.

The Cougars added two more runs in the next three innings. With two outs in the fourth, Dakota Alber and Catcher Gladysh had back-to-back solo home runs for a 6-1 lead.

The fifth saw Cooper deliver a 2-out single to plate two more runs and an 8-1 lead. Trinidad came back with five in the bottom of the frame to make it 8-6. But, the Cougars continued scoring, adding two in the sixth Hart and Will Harbison each singled in a run to make it 10-6.

The Cougars added nine in the top of the seventh on eight hits. The big hits were home runs from Satterfield and Jack Sughroue. Satterfield blast was a 3-run shot and then Sughroue followed with a solo shot for the 19-6 lead.

WNCC had 21 hits led by Hart with a 4-for-5 performance including a double, two RBIs, and a run scored. Gladysh, Harbison, and Cooper each had three hits. Harbison had three singles with two RBIs, while Gladysh had a home run with three RBIs and four runs scored. Cooper had a double, home run, four RBIs, and a run scored.

Alber, Satterfield, and Sughroue each had two hits. Alber had home run with two RBIs and two runs scored, Satterfield had a home run with four RBIs and two runs scored, and Sughroue had a home run with three runs scored.

Payton Denny picked up the win on the hill, going four innings in scattering six hits and five runs with two strikeouts. Nelson Martinez followed with three innings pitched in allowing three hits and striking out four.

The second game was one where the Cougars offense was silent for the first four innings in not scoring a run. Trinidad, on the other hand, scored two in the first for a 2-0 lead. WNCC finally got on the board with a run in the fifth when Vaughn Wilson singled in Sughroue to make it 2-1. Trinidad answered with two in the bottom to make it 4-1.

WNCC tied the game at 4-4 with three in the seventh as Wilson was hit by a pitch and scored on a Harbison double. Harbison came in to score on a sacrifice fly and Austin Cooper scored the tying run on a Daniel Chavez single.

The lead was short-lived as Trinidad added one in the bottom of the seventh to regain the lead. The Cougars tied the game again at 5-5 with a run in the eighth Harbison singled in a run.

Trinidad went back in front 7-5 with two in the bottom of the frame. The Cougars exploded with four runs in the ninth to grab a 9-7 lead with all the runs coming with two outs. Ty Beutner had a 2-out single to score two runs to tie the game at seven. Wilson then plated Beutner with the go-ahead run and Wilson scored on a Harbison double.

WNCC couldn’t hold the lead as Trinidad got a lead-off home run to make it 9-8. Then, with two outs, Trinidad reached base on a hit batsman and single. The tying run scored on a passed ball and then with two on and two outs, the winning run was scored on a fielding error.

WNCC had 16 hits in the contest as Ty Beutner had four hits with two RBIs and two runs scored. Chavez also had two hits.

Game 1

WNCC 004 222 9 – 19 21 3

Trinidad 010 050 2 – 8 9 3

WP – Payton Denny.

2B – Austin Cooper, Harrison Hart.

HR – Austin Cooper, Catcher Gladysh, Dakota Alber, Jase Satterfield, Jack Sughroue.

Game 2

WNCC 000 010 314 – 9 16 2

Trinidad 200 020 123 – 10 10 2

LP – Trevor Beutner.

2B – Will Harbison 2.

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