Cougar notes: WNCC baseball falls to McCook

                The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team dropped a couple high-scoring contests to McCook Community College in North Empire Conference action Friday afternoon at a windy and cold Cleveland Field.

                The first game was a back and forth contest as the Cougars and McCook were knotted at 6-6 after five innings. McCook then added five late runs to earn the 11-6 win.

                The second contest was one where WNCC scored five in the third, but then let McCook score seven runs in the fourth and fifth as the Indians won 13-7 to clinch the No. two seed from the North Empire Conference.

                Both teams will wrap up the regular season on Saturday at Cleveland Field in a 9-inning contest. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.
                The first game saw McCook lead off with a home run by Zach Beatty. WNCC answered with a single run as Quinn McCafferty singled and scored on a Dalton Nelson single. WNCC took the lead at 2-1 with a run in the second as Spencer Ohu doubled in Dillon Fabricus.
                McCook came back to tie the game with one in the third and then took a 6-2 lead with four in the fifth. WNCC answered with four of their own in the bottom of the frame. Jack Jones started things with a one-out single. Eli Hernandez then reached on an error. Nelson then singled in Jones. Hernandez scored on a groundout to make the score 6-4. Fabricus tied the game with a 2-run home run.

                McCook came back with one in the sixth and four in the seventh to lead 11-6 to get the win.

                McCook outhit WNCC 11-9 in the first game. Nelson and Fabricus each had two hits for the Cougars. Nelson had two RBIs with a run scored while Fabricus had a home run with two RBIs and two runs scored.

                Dawson Hurford went the distance as he allowed 11 hits and 11 runs while striking out six.

                Game two saw McCook score once in the first and twice in the third for a 3-0 lead. WNCC came back with five in the third for a 5-3 lead.

                The third started as Jones and Eli Hernandez each walked. WNCC loaded the bases after a Nelson single. Jones scored on a Drew Book sacrifice fly followed by a 3-run home run by Fabricus, his second on the day. WNCC added one more run as Ohu doubled and scored on a passed ball.
                The Cougar lead didn’t last long as McCook plated four in the fourth and three in the fifth to hold a 10-6 lead. WNCC had several good hits and chances, but the difference in the game was the McCook defense was making diving plays and catches to thwart Cougar base hits, many of which would have went for extra bases.

                WNCC was outhit 11-8 in the contest. Nelson led the offense with three hits, all singles. Nelson had an RBI and run scored. McCafferty finished with two hits including a double. Fabricus had another home run with three RBIs, while Hernandez had a triple and two runs scored.

 

Game 1

McCook               101 041 4 – 11 11 3
WNCC                   110 040 0 – 6 9 2
LP – Dawson Hurford.
2B – Spencer Ohu.

HR – Dillon Fabricus.

Game 2

McCook               102 430 201 – 13 11 0
WNCC                   005 100 100 – 7 8 4
LP – Corbin Kirk.
2B – Quinn McCafferty, Spencer Ohu.
3B – Eli Hernandez.
HR – Dillon Fabricus

WNCC softball splits with McCook

                MCCOOK – Lexi Parker and Caley Leslie combined for six strikeouts in helping the Western Nebraska Community College softball team capture a 6-3 win over McCook Community College in the first game of a conference doubleheader in McCook.

                The second game saw McCook score seven runs in the middle innings to earn the 8-5 win.

                The two teams will meet up Sunday afternoon in the final two games of the regular season at McCook with a lot on the line. McCook will host the Region IX tournament with two wins, but if WNCC wins twice the Cougars and McCook will be tied for the conference lead.

                The first game was a pitcher’s dual for the first three innings as neither team scored a run. WNCC finally broke the ice with a run in the fourth as Macyn Hartman doubled and scored on a Mackenzie Bakel 2-out single.

                McCook came back and had back-to-back solo home runs to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth. WNCC answered, though, scoring twice in the fifth and sixth innings to take a 6-2 lead.

                The fifth saw Emma Schweitzer walk. Bailey Blanchard then singled with two outs. DemiRae Woolsey and Blanchard each scored on a Wharton double to make it 3-2. The sixth saw WNCC score two more as the Cougars got three straight base runners on as Taylor Klein and Bakel singled and Erin Hanafin was hit by a pitch. Klein scored on Bakel single and then Bakel scored on a Chloe Cronquist single for the 5-2 lead.

                McCook added one in the sixth to cut the lead to 5-3, but WNCC ended the game with a line-out double play to get the win.

                WNCC outhit McCook 8-6. Wharton and Bakel each had two hits. Wharton had a double with two RBIs while Bakel had a run scored and an RBI.

                Parker started and went three innings in scattering three hits and allowing two runs while striking out two. Leslie tossed the final four innings to get the win. Leslie allowed three hits and one run while striking out four.
                WNCC started the second game off quickly with two runs as Hartman started things with a double. Klein then singled to put runners on the corner. Hartman scored on a Hanafin single Klein came in to score on a Bakel single.
                McCook would come back with two in the second and three in the third for a 5-2 lead. WNCC sliced the lead to 5-3 with one in the fourth as Schweitzer led off with a solo home run.

                McCook answered right back with two in the fourth for a 7-3 lead. WNCC added single runs in the fifth and sixth. The fifth saw the Cougars score their run as Hartman scored on a groundout.
                The sixth saw WNCC load the bases with one out as Cronquist doubled and Bailey Blanchard reached on an error and DemiRae Woolsey was hit by a pitch. Cronquist scored on a ground out, but that was all they could get in.

                WNCC was outhit in the second game 13-9. Klein was the only Cougar with multiple hits. Klein also scored once. Hanafin had two RBIs in the game while Hartman had a double with two runs scored.

 

Game 1
WNCC                   000 122 0 – 5 8 1
McCook               000 201 0 – 3 6 1
WP – Caley Leslie.
2B – Victoria Wharton, Macyn Hartman.

Game 2
WNCC                   200 111 0 – 5 9 0

McCook               023 201 x – 8 13 3

LP – DesaRae Woolsey.
2B – Macyn Hartman, Chloe Cronquist.
HR – Emma Schweitzer.