The Western Nebraska Community College and McCook Community College softball teams split a doubleheader on Saturday in the two team’s 5-game series this weekend at Volunteer Field in Scottsbluff.

                The first game saw the two teams battle 40-mph gusts as the Indians scored seven times in the seventh to claim the 11-4 win.

                The second contest saw WNCC score six times in the second in earning the 11-4 win over McCook for the split on the day.

                The two teams will be back in action on Sunday for a doubleheader beginning at 12 noon. It is also sophomore recognition day as the 11 sophomores will re recognized before the game around 11:15 a.m. The two teams will then wrap up the 5-game series on Monday with an 11 a.m. contest.

                The second contest was totally different for the Cougars as they got clutch hits and played error-free defense to get the win.

                McCook plated single runs in the first and second for a 2-0 lead. WNCC went up 6-2 with six runs in the second. Bree Henson started things as she reached on an error. Sianna Lewis doubled home Henson for the first run. Lewis scored on a Baylie Krueger single to knot the game at 2-2.

                WNCC loaded the bases when Chloe Cronquist singled in two runs for a 4-2 lead. Morgan Dustin followed with a hit that scored two more runs.

                McCook plated one in the third, but WNCC answered in the bottom half with two runs. Erin Hurst started things with a single and scored on a Lewis double. Lewis would then come in to score on a Victoria Wharton hit that resulted in an error.

                Both teams added a run in the fourth. WNCC’s run came with two outs as Krueger singled on Hurst for the 9-4 lead. WNCC added two insurance runs in the sixth. Maddie Johnston started the frame with a walk followed by a Hurst single. Johnston came in to score on a fielder’s choice hit and Krueger scored on a Wharton single for the 11-4 lead.

                WNCC outhit McCook 12-10. Hurst led the way with a 3-for-3 game with three runs scored. Four Cougars had two hits each. Lewis had two doubles with two runs scored and two RBIs, while Krueger had two singles with two RBIs and two runs scored.

                Also collecting two hits were Wharton with two singles and two RBIs, while Cronquist had a single, double, and two RBIs.

                Caley Leslie picked up the win in the circle, going all seven innings in scattering 10 hits and allowing just four hits while striking out one.

                The first game was a battle until the seventh inning. WNCC took a 1-0 lead with a run in the third as Arianah Plorin had a 2-out singles and scored on a Cronquist double.

                McCook answered with a run in the fourth to tie the game at 1-1. WNCC retook the lead in the fifth with a run when Hurst doubled and scored on a Wharton single. McCook came back with three in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead.

                The bottom of the sixth saw WNCC score twice to tie the game at 4-4. DemiRae Woolsey started things by getting walked. Dustin then doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Henson then singled in Woolsey and then Dustin scored on a Lewis sacrifice fly.

                WNCC lost the lead in the seventh when the Indians scored seven times with Gering graduate Brylee Dean getting a single and scoring Emma Pennala with the go-ahead run that would keep McCook in the lead.

                WNCC was outhit in the contest 15-7. Dustin had two hits with a double to lead the Cougars.

Game 1

McCook               000 103 7 – 11 15 1
WNCC                   001 012 0 – 4 7 3

LP – DesaRae Woolsey.

2B – Erin Hurst, Chloe Cronquist, Morgan Dustin.

Game 2

McCook               111 100 0 – 4 10 5

WNCC                   062 102 x – 11 12 0

WP – Caley Leslie.

2B – Sianna Lewis 2, Chloe Cronquist.

WNCC baseball falls twice to McCook

                MCCOOK – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team dropped an Empire Conference doubleheader in contrasting fashion Saturday in McCook.

                The first game saw WNCC come back with three runs in the seventh only to fall short to the Indians 6-5.

                The second game was all McCook as the Indians claimed the 14-4 win with eight runs in the last three innings.

                The first game saw McCook score twice in the first and three times in the second to take an early 5-0 lead.

                WNCC got on the scoreboard with two in the third when Tyler Easter and Ethan Johnson each singled. Easter would later score as he stole home and then Johnson later scored on an error by the catcher.

                After that, neither team scored in the fourth and fifth inning. McCook added an insurance run that was needed to go up 6-2. WNCC mounted a seventh-inning rally with three runs. Easter started things with a one-out double followed by a Johnson single. That set up the heroic swing of a bat by Scottsbluff’s Hunter McCollum as he rocketed a 3-run home run to make it 6-5. Max Adam and Shintaro Inoue each walked, but were left stranded on base.

                WNCC finished with seven hits. Johnson and Easter each had two hits and two runs scored. McCollum also had two hits with a home run and three RBIs.

                The second game saw WNCC finish with six hits with Adam and Ashton Ross each collecting two. Ross had a double with two RBIs and a run scored.

                WNCC started the second game with a run in the first when Ross had a 2-out double to score Adam. McCook came back and added a single run in the second and then plated four in the third to lead 5-1. McCook added another in the fourth for a 6-1 lead. That was when WNCC mounted a comeback with three in sixth.

                Bryce Peterson and Inoue led off with singles. Peterson scored on a Ross single. Garrett Dodd then scored two with a hit that resulted in an error to slice the deficit to 6-4.

                McCook came right back with three in the bottom of the sixth and then added four in the seventh and ended the game on the 10-run run in the eighth and scored the game-ending run on a bases-loaded, one-out walk.

                WNCC and McCook will be back in action Sunday with one game to wrap up the regular season. The post-season begins next weekend with first-round games with the top two seeds from the North and South hosting the best 2-of-3 series.

Game 1

WNCC                   003 000 3 – 5 7 0

McCook               230 001 x – 6 9 2

LP – Adrian Short.

2B – Tyler Easter.

HR – Hunter McCollum.

Game 2

WNCC                   100 003 00 – 4 6 2

McCook               014 103 41 – 14 10 1

LP – Firmin Haased.

2B – Ashton Ross.