WNCC nearly doubles regular season home run total wiht 19 dingers at regional tournament

The Western Nebraska Community College softball team showed some finesse from the plate at the Region IX tournament over the weekend.

The Cougars entered the tournament with 22 home runs and just in a two-day period, the team nearly doubled that mark, collecting 19 round-trippers in the six games at regionals, which they placed second.

WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff, who was named the region’s coach of the year, was amazed at the team’s power.

“Offensively up until the last game, we did a tremendous job and made great adjustments,” she said. “We did a great job putting up runs. We had a lead in the Lamar game and then had to come from behind to win in dramatic fashion. We found a way to win against North Platte. We found a way to guy it out and score 17 runs. The second go-around with Otero and putting up 11 runs is a big moral victory for us. We just ran out of gas in the championship. Mentally and physically we just couldn’t get over the hump after playing four games in one day.”

WNCC’s power in the tournament not was only from their 19 home runs, but also the 15 doubles they collected. In fact, eight of the nine batters recorded at least one home run

Freshman Lauren Bourdon was the big hitter, doubling her season home run total from four to eight. Bourdon had two huge dingers in the team’s 11-7 win over Otero Junior College in the first championship game.

Bourdon had a second-inning 3-run blast to start the scoring for both teams. She then added a solo shot in the seventh inning to add an insurance run to force an if-ncessary game.

Bourdon also had home runs in the first game against Otero Junior College, which WNCC lost 8-7, and a home run in the team’s 13-5 win over McCook Community College in the team’s opener.

Sophomores Ashley Eichelberger and Jessica Ventoza also provided some punch as each dinged three home runs. Eichelberger had home runs against North Platte, a 2-run blast in the win against Lamar Community College to win the game, and a 2-run shot in the win against Otero.

Ventoza’s three home runs were all 2-run shots against Lamar, in the Otero win, and in the first Otero loss. Ventoza also added three doubles to her totals while hitting 15-of-23 for the game, including a 4-for-4 day in the 8-7 loss to Otero.

Amanda Hensley, Jessie McNabb, Amanda Torimaru and Lauren Mills each collected two home runs, while Kara Ryman had one. Winn-Ratliff said that Ryman and Eichelberger each could have had another one – both in the 8-7 loss to Otero. Ryman’s, the coach said, would have been a first-inning grand slam, while Eichelberger’s was a deep flyout to lead off the seventh.

While the reality of the season is closed, Winn-Ratliff was extremely excited in watching her team play never give up in the games.

“The kids were extremely gutsy and, really, it was anybodies opportunity to win it,” she said. “You saw McCook pick up a win, which his great for their program, North Platte upsets the three seed and goes all the way to finish third. The championship game couldn’t be more then what the fans asked for. I wish we had a little bit better showing in the if game, but it is by far the most exciting regional tournament I participated.”

The Cougars performance this season shows a lot for next year. Not only did the team post the most wins in school history with 36, they also set a number of other hitting records. And, with 11 players eligible to come back next year, WNCC should be one of the favorites to win the regional title.

“We are going to have the best returning class and we are going to return the most experience in the league,” she said. “That is something that is going to be great for us next year and something for us to build on.”

The team also put seven players on the all-region team as well having the Region IX coach of the year.

Earning first team honors were infielders Jessica Ventoza, Jessie McNabb and Kara Ryman, outfielder Lauren Mills, and pitcher Natasha Dypchey. Second team honors went to Ashley Eichelberger and Amanda Hensley. Winn-Ratliff was also voted as the coach of the year. But, she said that it was her players that stepped up when needed, and the future looks bright for Cougar softball.

“We playing 57 ball games, 49 with 11 kids, and had seven kids on the all-region team – three of which are first-team infield. That says a lot about us,” Winn-Ratliff said. “I think we had one of the best infields in the league and obviously other coaches thought that as well.

Winning 36 games was huge. Our goal was 40 and we fell a little short of that. Still, I couldn’t be more prouder of this bunch of the way the kids played hurt and injured. We were all on the same goal of wanting to play at Plant City, Fla., [the site of the national tournament] and we were closer then we ever been. I hope we continue to have success, get more kids on the all-region team and pick up more wins in the future and see where it gets us.”

WNCC 130 201 0 – 7 9 1
Otero 000 260 x – 8 7 1
LP – Jessica Pexton; HR – Ventoza, Hensley, Bourdon.

North Platte 303 404 2 – 16 19 5
WNCC 002 703 5 – 17 18 2
WP – Dypchey; 2B – Mills, Foster 2; HR – Hensley, McNabb, Eichelberger, Mills, Ryman.

WNCC 030 133 1 – 11 15 1
Otero 003 040 0 – 7 12 0
WP – Pexton; 2B – Ventoza; HR – Ventoza, Eichelberger, Torimaru, Bourdon 2.

WNCC (36-21) 000 01 – 1 4 4
Otero 612 4 – 13 12 2
LP – Dypchey.