Photo: Cooper Wilson slides safely into home plate during game two against Otero on Sunday.

Harrison Hart delivered two walk-off home runs to help the Western Nebraska Community College baseball team claim an Empire Conference sweep over Otero College on Sunday at Cleveland Field.

WNCC got a strong pitching performance from Arthur Saumande and Nelson Martinez in game one as the two pitchers combined for seven strikeouts and just two hits for the 10-0 win.

Game two saw the Cougars score eight times in the seventh inning of the nine-inning contest, capped by Hart’s three-run walk-off home run to end the game 13-3 via the run rule.

WNCC won three of four games against Otero over the weekend. The Cougars are now 18-25 overall and 10-6 in conference play. WNCC is in third place in the conference behind Northeastern Junior College and McCook Community College, both of whom are 13-3 in conference play.

Hart, who had a solo walk-off to end the first game and then the 3-run blast in the second game, said the team played well today all the way around.

“I thought we played really well. First game, obviously, we shut them out and the pitching was really good, and the hitters did their job,” Hart, the Gretna native, said. “Then the second game we kind of came out a little flat at the beginning. Then, towards the middle of the game, we got some runs and walked it off.”

Hart said he has had walk-off hits before, but never two walk-off home runs in the same day. In fact, the Cougars’ three wins this weekend were all walk-off victories. Jude Russell had a walk-off home run in game two on Saturday.

“I’ve had a couple walk offs, but not back-to-back games,” Hart said. “Jude hit a walk-off in our second game, so all of our wins have been off walk-off home runs.”

That first game was a complete team effort as the Cougars had six extra base hits out of their 12 total hits. Catcher Gladysh had the hot bat, going 3-for-4 with a double, two home runs, five RBIs, and two runs scored.

Hart, Vaughn Wilson, and Ty Beutner all had two hits in the win.

While the bats were part of the story in the wins, the pitching was eye-popping. Saumande went five innings with just one hit and five strikeouts while walking five in game one. To show Saumande’s toughness on the mound, the freshman from France walked the bases loaded in the first, but did not allow the Rattlers to record a hit to score a run.

Shutting down that first inning threat carried over through the rest of the game on the defensive end. Offensively, the Cougars started scoring in the third with three runs. Beutner started the frame with a single and scored on a Wilson double. Gladysh made it 3-0 when he launched a towering two-run home run.

The Cougars added a single run in the fourth for a 4-0 lead and then made it 6-0 in the fifth when Jase Satterfield doubled home Hart.

The sixth inning saw WNCC end the game via the run rule when Beutner led off with a single followed by a walk from Wilson. Gladysh launched his second home run of the game, a three-run shot to make it 9-0. Hart then finished the game with a no-doubt solo home run for the 10-0 win.

The second game saw the Cougars start slow, trailing 2-0 after two innings. It was the third inning when the Cougar bats started to come alive. With two outs in the third, Hart earned a walk followed by Will Harbison collecting a single. Cooper Wilson then found the gap for a triple to score two to tie the game 2-2.

WNCC went up 5-2 with three runs in the fifth. Gladysh started the frame with a double and scored on a Harbison double. Moments later, Harbison came in to score on a Cooper Wilson single. Wilson scored the third run on a Garrison Burns sacrifice fly.

Otero scored one in the seventh to make it 5-3. WNCC came through in a major way in the seventh. With one out, the Cougars had five straight singles and then a 2-run double by Dakota Alber for a 10-3 lead. After Gladysh was hit by a pitch to put two on, Hart stepped to the plate and the clean-up hitter took the first pitch and sent it skyrocketing over the fence for the walk-off 3-run home run and the game.

WNCC finished with 16 hits in the contest, including six extra base hits. Cooper Wilson led the way with a 4-for-4 plate appearance with a double, triple, two runs scored, and three RBIs.

Burns went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored, while Harbison had two hits with a double, three RBIs, and two runs scored. Hart had just one hit but had three RBIs and two runs scored.

Marshall Forsyth picked up the win on the mound, going five innings while scattering seven hits, allowing two runs and striking out four. Trevor Beutner finished off the game with two innings pitched, allowing two hits, one run, and striking out three.

WNCC will be back in action this weekend with a four-game series against Southeast Community College in Beatrice. Hart, who transferred to WNCC from Southeast this season, said they must prepare for Southeast and play like they did this weekend.

“You just have to flush this series and prepare for a new opponent,” Hart said. “We hope the pitching is just as strong as what they did today, and the hitters continue to find ways to win.”

Game 1

Otero 000 000 – 0 2 1
WNCC 003 124 – 10 12 0

WP – Arthur Saumande.
2B – Catcher Gladysh, Jase Satterfield, Vaughn Wilson.
HR – Catcher Gladysh 2, Harrison Hart.

Game 2
Otero 110 000 1 – 3 9 0
WNCC 002 030 8 – 13 16 2

WP – Marshall Forsyth.

2B – Catcher Gladysh, Cooper Wilson, Dakota Alber, Will Harbison.
3B – Cooper Wilson.
HR – Harrison Hart.

WNCC softball sweeps Otero on Sunday

LA JUNTA, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team put together a complete performance in earning a conference sweep over Otero College Sunday in La Junta, Colorado.

The Cougars scored nine runs in the first inning of game one as they coasted to the 16-5 win. The second game saw WNCC come back from a 4-2 deficit to plate three runs in the sixth and seventh innings to claim the 8-4 win.

WNCC won all four games against Otero over the weekend. The last time the Cougars swept the Rattlers in a four-game series was 2017-18 and it was by almost the same scores. In 2017-18, WNCC outscored Otero 49-18 and this weekend, the Cougars outscored the Rattlers 52-18.

The second game on Sunday saw a masterful pitching performance from Mia Migliaccio, who went 6 2/3 innings in allowing just one hit, one run, one walk, and striking out 12. The 12 strikeouts are the most by a Cougar pitcher since 2019 when Emma McMillan struck out 15 against McCook.

The two wins push the Cougars’ record to 14-22 overall and 7-13 in conference play. WNCC will next be in action this weekend when they travel to Lamar Community College.

Adi Duke, who had the tying two-run home run in the sixth inning of game two, said they had the will to win in that comeback win.

“We fell behind in the second game and stopped pushing runners across,” Duke said. “In those final two innings I think we all had a want to win and weren’t complacent with the idea of dropping a game after winning three. When the job needed to be done, we focused in on scoring again by staying within ourselves and working together to get those runs.”

Duke said the team needed wins like this weekend to get that mojo back.

“The team played very well and cohesively to secure these wins. It’s no secret that we have been in a drought the past couple games, but coming out with a fire and a need to take four pushed us to success,” Duke said. “Our pitchers did a great job this weekend and were key in shutting down Otero’s offense. On top of that, stringing hits together was huge. Having our bats on to back up our pitchers and allowing them to play loose was big.”

Tori Travers, who hammered three home runs and had 13 RBIs in the four games this weekend, said the key to the wins was their plate appearances and working as a unit on the field.

“The team did very well leading with our bats and having very solid defense throughout this weekend,” Travers said. “The team worked as a unit and combined our skill to sweep Otero. When the bats were not hot in game four, we were able to have good D and pitching rocked it this weekend.”

Game two saw WNCC start quickly in game two with a run in the first as Abbey Arntsen singled home Tina Horton with the first run of the game. Otero came right back with three in the first and one in the second for a 4-2 lead. Neither team scored again until the Cougars made a rally in the sixth and seventh.

In the sixth inning, Jasmine Castro led off with a single followed by Duke’s first-pitch two-run home to tie the game at 4-4. WNCC took the lead moments later as Viktoria Sarkanyova singled and scored on an Alyssa Albaugh sacrifice for the 5-4 lead.

WNCC added three more in the seventh when Horton singled and scored after stealing second and scoring on the error. WNCC scored its second run when Castron doubled home Travers. Castro scored the final run on a Duke sacrifice fly.

WNCC outhit Otero 10-5, led by Castro with a 3-for-4 performance with a double and two runs scored. Sarkanyova also had two hits, while Duke had that tying home run along with three RBIs.

The first game saw the Cougars plate nine runs in the first inning, and all nine runs came with two outs. WNCC had five hits and took advantage of four walks. The big hit was a Travers triple that scored two runs for an 8-0 lead. Travers later scored to make it 9-0 after one.

Otero scored just one in their half of the first, but the Cougars’ offense continued to sizzle, scoring two in the second, one in the third and four in the fourth. The fourth inning saw Travers blast a 3-run home run for the 16-1 lead.

WNCC had 10 hits in the contest, led by Travers and Arntsen each with three hits. Travers was a double shy of hitting for the cycle as the Sammamish, Washington, native went 3-for-4 with a single, triple, home run, three runs scored, and six RBIs.

Arntsen had three singles in the contest. Castro and Horton each finished with two hits. Castro had three runs scored with two RBIs, while Horton had a double with three runs scored and two RBIs.

Gracie Holm got the win in the circle, scattering six hits, allowing five runs and striking out seven.

WNCC will hope to continue their hot bats going this weekend as they head to Lamar. Duke and Travers said they need to play their game to get wins next weekend.

“We need to stay within ourselves, and work counts in our ABs,” Travers said. “Our team’s focus plays better when we slow it down and play our game. I believe we will be good if we work together like we did in this series and in previous games.”

Game 1
WNCC                921 40 – 16 10 3
Otero                   100 40 – 5 6 7
WP – Gracie Holm.
2B – Tina Horton.
3B – Tori Travers.
HR – Tori Travers.

Game 2
WNCC                110 003 3 – 8 10 2

Otero 310 000 0 – 4 5 2

WP – Mia Migliaccio.
2B – Hayley Blumenschein, Jasmine Castro.

HR – Adi Duke.

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