The Western Nebraska Community College softball team made went undefeated over the Spring Break trip after downing Gateway Community College on Thursday.
The Cougars, 10-0 on the swing through Arizona, defeated Gateway 10-1 and then 8-7 to run their record to 22-4 on the season.
“The first game offensively and defensively, we played really well,” head coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said. “We jumped out early and won. In the second game, we got up early and then found a way to push across a run in the seventh and get the win.”
In the opener, WNCC pounded out 13 hits and received another dazzling pitching performance from Kelsey Garner to get the win. Garner struck out three and scattered four hits in the win. Ashley Patton pitched the final inning striking out one and allowing one hit.
Offensively, the Cougar bats were hot from the get-go, scoring two runs in the first and second innings for a 4-0 lead. WNCC added another five runs in the fifth inning for a 10-0 lead.
Kara Ryman paced the Cougars with a 3-for-4 performance, including a double, a home run (solo shot in the third inning), two runs scored and an RBI. Lauren Mills, Mandy Pounds and Jessie McNabb each collected two hits each. Mills, who was named the NJCAA player of the week, finished with a run scored and a double, while McNabb had two RBIs, and Pounds had two runs scored and an RBI.
The second game was a little bit more intense. WNCC ran out to a 3-0 lead after two innings only to watch Gateway slice the lead to 4-3 after three innings. WNCC came right back and scored three runs in the fourth inning to take a 7-3 lead, before Gateway tied the game in the fifth with four runs.
WNCC found a way to win in the seventh as Mills reached on an error. McNabb and Amanda Hensley followed with back-to-back singles to lead the bases. WNCC scored the winning run when Lauren Bourdon was plunked with the pitch, forcing in the winning run.
Garner garnered her second win of the day, pitching the final 2 2/3 innings, allowing one hit and striking out two. Natasha Dypchey started the game, going 4 1/3 innings, while striking out three and allowing seven hits.
Offensively, the Cougars pounded out 14 hits with six players recording multiple hits. Ryman, once again, paced the team with a 3-for-5 performance, including two doubles, two RBIs and a single.
McNabb went 3-for-5 with three singles, two RBIs and a run scored, followed by Mills with two singles and three runs scored; Hensley with a double, single and an RBI; Bourdon with a single, two hits-batsman, two RBIs and a run scored; and Amanda Torimaru with a double, single, RBI and a runs scored.
The Cougar women, 22-4, will next be in action Wednesday when they host North Platte Community College in the team’s home opener at Volunteer Field. First pitch for the doubleheader is slated for 3 p.m.
First Game
WNCC 221 05 -- 10 13 0
Gateway 000 01 -- 1 5 4
WP -- Garner; 2B -- Ryman, Mills; HR -- Ryman.
Second Game
WNCC (22-5) 130 300 1 -- 8 14 3
Gateway 003 040 0 -- 7 8 2
WP -- Garner; 2B -- Ryman 2, Torimaru, Hensley.
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