WNCC softball drops games to No. 14 Howard

                BIG SPRING, Texas – The Western Nebraska Community College softball opened the season by dropping a doubleheader to No. 14 Howard College Wednesday afternoon in Big Spring, Texas.

                The first game saw the Howard pitchers combine on a one-hitter in six innings for the 8-0 win.

                The second contest saw the Cougars allow five first-inning runs in falling 13-0 in five innings.

                Both teams will back at it on Thursday for another doubleheader. WNCC will wrap up the Texas road trip on Friday and Saturday when they travel to Western Texas College.

                “Defensively, we failed to communicate like we have been at practice and it really showed,” WNCC coach Katelyn Groves said. “We also struggled to make plays when we needed to and lacked aggressiveness at the plate. Howard’s pitching staff did a great job attacking the one and their hitters attacked strikes and got timely hits when they needed them.”

                Groves said Lexi Butterfield did well pitching the first game to keep them in the game. Butterfield went five innings in allowing five early runs. She had 54 strikes in 86 pitches thrown.

                “I thought Lexi Butterfield did a great job keeping us in a ball game,” Groves said. “She gave up three earned runs late after five unearned early. We had a bad inning in both games that complete shifted the momentum and we weren’t able to fight our way back in. Credit to Howard for putting us away.”

                It was the Cougars’ first games of the year while Howard has already played games. Groves said it is a long season and Thursday is a new day.

                “Fortunately, we have a long season ahead,” she said. “First games out and we got better – it didn’t go how we expected with two shutout losses, but we definitely learned a lot about our game plan and how important our execution is. Tomorrow (Thursday) is a new day and we look forward to improving on today.”

                The first game saw the Cougars turn a first-inning double play but then the Hawks scored five second-inning runs and held on for the 8-0 win.

                WNCC had base runners all night as they had runners on in three of the six innings but couldn’t string hits together as the Howard pitchers struck out a combined nine batters.

                The first inning saw Bailey Blanchard get a one-out walk. Victoria Wharton then had a walk and a stolen base in the third inning. The sixth inning saw the Cougars try to make a comeback as Wharton started things with a one-out double followed by Blanchard earning a walk, but that was it.

                The Cougars stayed with Howard minus the second inning where the Hawks scored five runs. Take away the second and it would have been a different contest.

                Wharton had the only hit in the contest for the Cougars with a double. Blanchard and Wharton were on base twice.

                Defensively, Chloe Cronquist had seven putouts followed by Blanchard with three, and two each from Mackenzie Bakel and Macyn Hartman.

                The second game saw Howard erupt early to lead 13-0 after three innings by scoring five runs in the first, three in the second, and five in the third.

                WNCC, once again, had runners on base but couldn’t get then around to score. The second inning saw Lexi Butterfield lead off with a double but was stranded at third base. The Cougars also had something going in the fourth when Taylor Klein had a one-out single, but that was it.

                Defensively, Bakel, Cronquist, and Erin Hanafin each had three put outs in the contest.

                Butterfield and Klein were the only ones with hits in the contest.

 

Game 1

WNCC                   000 000 – 0 1 1

Howard                050 102 – 8 13 0

LP – Lexi Butterfield.

2B – Victoria Wharton.

 

Game 2

WNCC                   000 00 – 0 2 3

Howard                535 0x – 13 13 0

LP – Caley Leslie.

2B - -Lexi Butterfield.