In the first games of Easter weekend on Friday, the Western Nebraska Community College baseball team hosted the Northeastern Junior College Plainsmen in Empire Conference action, splitting the doubleheader.

The first game saw NJC win 5-3 in eight innings as the Cougars tied the game with two in the seventh, only to watch the Plainsmen score two in the eighth for the win.

The second game saw the Cougars score eight runs in the final three inning, which allowed WNCC to earn the 10-2 win.

“It feels like that first game out, we’re not really on our toes, we’re sitting back on our heels but that second game, it showed our bats were there and we were fired up,” pitcher Corbin Kirk said.

                The Cougars played catchup for most of the first game as the Plainsmen had a 2-1 lead after the second inning until they scored another in the top of the seventh to lead 3-1.

                WNCC made a comeback in the bottom of the seventh when Max Adam and Jack Jones each walked. Both scored on a one-out triple by Eli Hernandez to tie the game. The Cougars came close to winning the game in the seventh, but Hernandez was caught stealing home and that went into extra innings.

                In extra innings, NJC had two doubles and an error which was enough to score two runs. WNCC couldn’t get anything going in the eighth to give the Plainsmen the win.

                NJC outhit the Cougars 9-8 in the contest. Johnson was the only Cougar with more than one hit when he had two singles. Hernandez was the only Cougar with an extra base hit with that triple.

                The second game was a little different result and it was the offense that really stepped up. The Cougars outhit NJC 15-5, including the only home run for either team by Jones.

                Jones, who went 0-for-3 in game one, had the 2-run home run over the right-center field fence in the fifth inning. Jones finished the game 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs.

                Four other Cougars had multi-hit games as Ethan Johnson went 3-for-3 and Dalton Nelson, Quinn McCafferty and Dillon Fabricus each had two hits apiece. Fabricus had three RBIs as Nelson had two. Dylan Howard also had an RBI.

                WNCC and NJC were tied at 1-1 after two innings. The Cougars forged in front when they scored one run in the third when Fabricus singled to score Dillon Nelson.

                The Cougars score three times in the bottom of the fourth to go up 5-1. Johnson and Jordan Rollins led off the inning by drawing walks and that both scored on a single by Jones.

                NJC added one in the fifth to cut the lead to 5-2, but the Cougars’ offense stayed hot, adding two more in the fifth and three in the sixth.

                The fifth saw Johnson reach on a double and then Jones belted a two-out home run to make the score 7-2.

                The sixth saw the Cougars almost get the runs to call the game via the run rule. WNCC loaded the bases as Nelson and McCafferty each walked while Drew Book had a single. Nelson and Book came in to score on a Fabricus single and McCafferty scored on a Howard single. WNCC loaded the bases with no outs and that is when the NJC defense turned a triple play to get out of the inning and force the seventh inning.

                NJC didn’t do anything in the seventh as reliever Brian Bruxvoort got all three Plainsmen swinging on third strikes to give WNCC the win.

                Kirk started the game, pitching five innings and giving up four hits, two runs and two walks while having seven strikeouts. Bruxvoort tossed the final two innings to get the hold, giving up one hit and recording five strikeouts.

                The two teams will face off once more on Saturday with first pitch at 1 p.m. at Cleveland Field in one, 9-inning contest.

 

Game 1

NJC                        020 000 12 -- 5 9 2

WNCC                   010 000 20 – 3 8 4

LP – Owen Vanthillo.

3B -- Eli Hernandez.

 

Game 2

NJC                        010 010 0 -- 2 5 1

WNCC                   101 323 x – 1015 1

WP – Corbin Kirk.

2B -- Ethan Johnson 2.

3B -- Eli Hernandez.

HR -- Jack Jones.

Mumford’s walk-off home run give WNCC split with NJC

               Bella Mumford hit two home runs in the second-game of a conference doubleheader, including a walk-off 2-run shot that gave the Cougars the 7-5 win in game two over Northeastern Junior College Friday afternoon at Volunteer Field.

                The first game saw NJC plate nine, fifth-inning runs and then hang on to get the 10-6 win as the two teams split the doubleheader.

                Victoria Wharton, who scored three runs in the second-game win, said that win was huge for the team.

                “We just game out and really took what was ours and we stepped up when we needed to,” Wharton, a freshman from Parker, Colorado, said. “We just kept fighting and we just took the win. This win was huge. More than anything, it just showed what we can do as a team and what we can do when we show up.”

                Wharton added that in the first game they also played well except for that one inning where they allowed nine Plainswomen runs.

                “The first game was that one inning and this game we came out to make sure that didn’t happen,” she said. “We really just played our game and just kept fighting.”

                The second game win was definitely a team win and Mackenzie Bakel, who had two amazing diving catches in centerfield, led off the seventh with a single and was on third base when Mumford launched the one-out home run over the fence for the walk-off win.

Bakel said they learned from that first game loss and they scored runs when they needed to.

“We learned from game one and we played more team ball and made the adjustments and came through when it counted,” the sophomore centerfielder said. “A lot of people stepped up when it mattered and it’s always important to play every game like it’s your last. Avoiding big innings is the difference between winning and losing so to limit those is very important.”

The thing with the second game is WNCC scored in six of the seven innings, and even the fifth inning where they failed to score, they had an opportunity to score.

The game was tied 4-4 entering the sixth inning when WNCC took a 5-4 lead when Wharton had a 2-out single and then scored on a Macyn Hartman double for the lead.

NJC came back to tie the game in the seventh as Kaley Kelly double followed by Addy Deal getting a single. Pinch-runner Brooke Rule came in to score on a Mia Glover one-out double. Starting pitcher Lexi Butterfield didn’t allow another run to come as she got the next batter to line out to second baseman Bailey Blanchard and the third out on a grounder that third baseman Hartman fielded and threw across the diamond to first base to end the inning.

It didn’t take long for WNCC to get something going in the bottom of the seventh. Bakel led off as she drove the first pitch solidly to leftfield. Chloe Cronquist then laid down a perfect sacrifice to move Bakel to second. Bakel then stole third. Mumford then took a full-count pitch and sky-rocketed over the centerfield fence for the walk-off win.

That was Mumford’s second home run of the game as she also had a solo shot in the second inning to tie the game at 2-2.

After Mumford tied the game in the second, NJC came back with two more in third for a 4-2 lead. WNCC added one run in the third as Wharton led off by reaching on an error and on the overthrow, went clear to third base. Wharton then scored on a Hartman double to make it 4-3 NJC.

WNCC tied the game in the fourth when Bakel walked and Cronquist doubled. Bakel came in to score on a Mumford sacrifice fly to tie the game up.

NJC outhit WNCC 10-9. Three Cougars had multiple hits in the win. Bakel went 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Mumford went 2-for-3 with two home runs, two runs scored, and four RBIs. Hartman also had two hits with two doubles and an RBI.

Butterfield went the distance in scattering 10 hits and allowing just five runs while striking out two.

The first game was one where WNCC was playing well for the first four innings and they held a 2-0 lead. WNCC scored one in the first as Hartman reached on an error followed by Taylor Klein singling. Hartman scored on an Erin Hanafin single.

WNCC made it 2-0 in the third as Klein led off with a home run to centerfield.

It stayed that way until the fifth when the Plainswomen scored nine times on six hits and two errors.

WNCC, trailing 10-2, started a rally scoring three times in the sixth to cut the lead to 10-5.

WNCC was outhit 10-7 in the contest. Klein and Cronquist each had two hits. Klein had a home runs with two RBIs while Bakel had just one hit and scored twice.

WNCC and NJC have another doubleheader on Saturday with first-pitch slated for 11 a.m. at Volunteer Field before playing each other again on Tuesday in Sterling, Colorado, in a make-up game. WNCC will also play McCook on Tuesday. Bakel said they need to play like they did in the second game to win.

“Keep hitting the ball and playing as a team,” Bakel said. “We need to continue to take advantages of situations and limit those big innings.”

 

Game 1

NJC                        000 091 0 – 10 10 2

WNCC                   101 003 1 – 6 7 3

LP – Katie McMillan.

HR – Taylor Klein.

 

Game 2

NJC                        202 000 1 – 5 10 3

WNCC                   111 101 2 – 7 9 2

WP – Lexi Butterfield.

2B – Macyn Hartman 2, Chloe Cronquist.

HR – Bella Mumford 2