BIG SPRING, Texas – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team made a big improvement in the second day of the four-game series with No. 14 Howard College on Thursday.

                After falling to Howard on Wednesday, the Cougars battled the ranked Hawks’ team in both games on Thursday including outhitting the top 20 ranked team in the opening game.

                Game one saw the Cougars grab a 4-1 lead and outhit Howard 11-9, but fell in a down-to-the-wire battle 8-7. The second game saw the Cougars receive the team’s first home run of the season from Lexi Butterfield before falling 9-1.

                WNCC coach Katelyn Groves said she was proud of the improvement the team made from Wednesday to Thursday.

                “Game one saw a much better outing from us. We executed out game plan much better and had plenty of opportunities to win, unfortunately we came up short,” Groves said. “However, the turn around from yesterday was night and day and showed what we can do.

                “Game two was just an offensive struggle for us. Their pitcher did another great job of commanding the zone and controlling our at bats. As the season goes on and during our practices, we need to focus on having and maintaining control in our at bats and hitting with purpose and not trying to out do the pitcher. We have a good offense, we just need to clam down and put it together.”

                The first game saw a strong pitching performance from freshman Katie McMillan, who tossed well in the circle in allowing just two walks in the 32 batters faced.

                “Katie McMillan threw a great game one,” Groves said. “We have to execute offensively for our pitchers. They are doing enough to keep us in games and give us opportunities to win.”

                WNCC started game one with plenty of offense. WNCC led 1-0 after the first inning when Victoria Wharton walked and scored the Cougars’ first run of the season on a Erin Hanafin double.

                WNCC pushed the lead to 4-0 with three runs on three hits in the second inning. DemiRae Woolsey led off the second with a triple and scored on a Chloe Cronquist single. Bailey Blanchard later walked and both runners scored on a Lexi Butterfield double for the 4-0 lead.

                Howard came back to cut the Cougar lead to 4-3 when they scored a single run in the second and two in the third. Howard took a 6-4 lead when they plated three in the fifth.

                WNCC came right back as they retook the lead at 7-6 with three in the sixth. Woolsey and Cronquist led off the sixth with back-to-back singles. Pinch-runner Erin Hurst scored the first run on a Bella Coffman single and then Taylor Klein scored Cronquist and Wharton to put WNCC up 7-6.

                Howard came back with two in the bottom of the sixth and the runs came with two outs as the Hawks took the 8-7 lead.

                WNCC had runners on in the seventh as Mackenzie Bakel led off with a double and then Cronquist reached base after getting hit by a pitch, but both runners were stranded in scoring position.

                WNCC outhit Howard 11-9. Four Cougars had multi-hit games. Klein was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, Hanafin was 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI, Woolsey was 2-for-4 with a triple, and Cronquist was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a RBI.

                Neither team scored in the first and the Cougars took a 1-0 lead with Butterfield’s solo home run. It didn’t last long as Howard answered with three in the second for a 3-1 lead. It stayed that way until the fifth when Howard scored twice before plating four in the sixth to end the game via the 8-run rule.

                WNCC had just six hits in the contest. Butterfield led the offense with a 2-for-2 performance including a home run and a single. The other singles came from Bakel, Hanafin, and Woolsey.

                WNCC, 0-4, will be back in action Friday and Saturday when they travel to Snyder, Texas, to battle Western Texas College. WTC is 4-2 on the season after splitting a doubleheader with Ranger College on Wednesday winning 17-1 and falling 6-2. Western Texas also took three of four from Otero to open the season Feb. 6 and 7.

 

Game 1

WNCC                   130 003 0 – 7 11 5

Howard                012 032 x – 8 9 x

LP – Katie McMillan.

2B – Taylor Klein, Mackenzie Bakel, Erin Hanafin, Lexi Butterfield.

3B – DemiRae Woolsey.

 

Game 2

WNCC                   010 000 – 1 6 1

Howard                030 024 – 9 11 0

LP – Lexi Butterfield.

HR – Lexi Butterfield.