The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team scored four eighth inning runs to come back to topple McCook Community College in an Empire Conference contest Friday at Cleveland Field.
The win was huge entering the final weekend of the season as the Cougars are battling to host a first-round playoff game on May 1. With the win, WNCC still holds a 2-game advantage over Lamar Community College for the No. 2 seed. The top two seeds host first-round games in the regional playoffs.
WNCC is 15-11 in conference play, while lamar is 13-13. Northeastern Colorado is 11-14 and has an outside shot of hosting a playoff spot. The Cougars will host conference-leading Trinidad State Junior College in action Saturday and Sunday, while Lamar Community College travels to Northeastern Junior College this weekend. Saturday contests begin at 1 p.m., while Sunday’s cames are at noon.
“This win is real big, especially coming up on region games and preparing us for Trinidad,” the freshman from Miami, Fla., said. “This is a big week for us, especially since now we are going to face the No. 1 seed. We need to win those games so we can have some home games in conference. We just came up big today and that is what we have to do all the time.”
Arias was one of the heros on the day, finishing with two RBIs and a big eighth-inning home run that jumpstarted the Cougars offensive attack. Arias said he stay focused at the plate, hitting his second home run in two games.
“I got a fastball away and a fastball inside and I just connected on the pitch,” he said.
The way the Cougars came back, in the late innings, is something the Cougars are accustomed to.
“We just know what we have to do when we come up short in the first couple innings,” Arias said. “We know we have to step up late in the game. The bats, lately, have not been so good, but we are picking up pace and hopefully everybody is getting out of their slump.”
WNCC won the game with a lot of clutch hits from a variety of people. That is something that will help the team down the stretch, said Arias.
“We need those kind of hits,” he said. “Those two out hits are the ones that win the games.”
The eighth inning proved huge for the Cougars. WNCC trailed early 4-2 and then sliced the lead to one, 4-3 in the seventh. Trace Marsden led off with a double and scored on a Shane Wade had a run-scoring single.
McCook came right back in the eighth with a solo home run by Matt Raabe. WNCC didn’t fold, coming right back. Arias started things with a one-out solo home run. Then Ron Miller reached on an error followed by Anthony Paniagua walked. Pinch-hitter Elvis Garcia then was plucked by a pitch to load the bases.
Jared Baros scored two runs with a single to right field to put the Cougars up 6-5. Josh Parked added an insurance run, scoring pinch runner Brady Sanchez from third with a single to left field.
WNCC’s Tim Kupfner threw an excellent game, going eight innings while yielding five runs, four of which came in the second inning. Kupfner allowed 11 hits. Kupfner struck out two. He was also helped with some strong defensive play behind him as the Cougars turned two two double plays.
Victor Rubio picked up the save, throwing the ninth inning and striking out one.
WNCC stranded seven batters in the contest, four of which were in scoring position. McCook left eight on base, with two in scoring position.
WNCC finished with 11 hits in the game with four players get multiple hits. Parker was 3-for-4 with a runs scored, double and a RBI, while Arias was 2-for-4 with a home runs, run scored and two RBIs. Baros went 2-for-3 with two singles and two RBIs, while Marsden went 2-for-4 with a double and run scored.
McCook 040 000 010 – 5 12 1
WNCC 101 000 14x – 7 11 1
WP – Kupfner, LP – Austin Parker; Save – Rubio; 2B – WNCC (Parker, Marsden), RBI – WNCC (Arias), McCook (Raabe).
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