WNCC baseball play better second day, but fall to New Mexico Military

ROSWELL, N.M. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team scored a combined 15 runs in two games on Saturday against New Mexico Military Institute, but NMMI registered the doubleheader sweep.

The first game went all seven innings as NMMI scored late runs in earning the 8-4 win. The second contest was a wild one as the two teams combined for 31 runs and 26 hits as NMMI recorded the 20-11 win.

WNCC will be back in action next weekend when they travel to New Mexico Junior College for a 4-game series.

Game two saw plenty of offense even though the Cougars started slow, trailing 10-0 after two innings and 17-0 after four innings. Things all changed after that as the Cougars offense came alive, erupting for eight fifth inning runs to trail 17-8.

The comeback started as Dakota Alber got a 3-out single and scored on a Ty Beutner double. Buetner then scored on a single by Jack Sughroue. The hit parade continued as Austin Cooper doubled and hen Jude Russell doubled in Cooper and Sughroue to make it 17-4.

It became 17-6 when Will Harbison doubled home Russell and Cooper Wilson. WNCC had the bases loaded and when Alber batted for the second time in the frame and singled in one run and then Beutner walked to force in the eighth run of the frame.

WNCC added another run in the sixth as Harbison singled in Russell to make it 17-9. The game got even closer in the seventh when the Cougars had two more runs as Sughroue hits an inside the park home run, scoring Ismael Camara. That was all the scoring as NMMI added three runs in the bottom of the eighth to end the game.

WNCC finished with 11 hits in the game. Five players had two hits in the contest. Jack Sughroue had two hits with three RBIs and a home run, while Will Harbison also had two hits with three RBIs and a double. Also collecting two hits was Jude Russell with a double, two runs scored, and two RBIs, while Dakota Alber and Ty Buetner each had two hits. Russell had a double with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Buetner had a double with two RBIs.

WNCC utilized six pitchers in the contest with Allard Helms taking the loss on the hill, giving up 10 runs, eight hits, and striking out three.

Game one was also a battle. NMMI scored three times in the first, but WNCC came right back and answered with three in the second, all with two outs, to tie the game. The second started when Jase Satterfield doubled followed by Brandon Waltemath and Garrison Burns earning back-to-back walks. Vaughn Wilson was hit by a pitch to force in one run. Catcher Gladysh then singled in two more to tie the game.

NMMI scored two runs in the third to go ahead 5-3 and added another run in the fourth for a 6-3 lead. WNCC plated one in the sixth and it could have been more as the Cougars had the bases loaded to make it 6-4. NMMI scored two in the bottom of the sixth for the 8-4. WNCC had two on in the seventh to mount a seventh-inning rally, but the final two batters were both fanned to end the game.

WNCC finished with seven hits, led by Gladysh with two hits and three RBIs, while Satterfield scored twice on a hit.

Game 1

WNCC 030 001 0 – 4 7 2

NMMI 302 102 x – 8 11 1

LP – Payton Denny.

2B – Catcher Gladysh, Jase Satterfield.

Game 2

WNCC 000 081 20 – 11 11 4

NMMI 282 500 03 – 20 15 1

LP – Allard Helms.

2B – Austin Cooper, Jude Russell, Ty Beutner, Will Harbison.

HR – Jack Sughroue.