The Cougars 14 runs in the fifth and sixth inning, including a walk-off home run to power WNCC past the Rattlers 16-5 in the first game. The second game saw the Cougars score five times in the fourth before holding off an Otero seventh rally for the 9-8 win.
The doubleheader win pushes the Cougars back into second place in the conference race after Lamar Community College swept Trinidad State in a doubleheader 3-1 and 1-0. McCook also bested Northeastern Junior College on Saturday 3-2 and 6-4.
WNCC and Otero will be back in action Sunday with another doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. WNCC coach Mike Jones said they need to be ready to play.
"We didn't even play our best baseball and we still get a chance to get out of here with two wins," he said. "We are taking care of our conference record and keeping us in the run for a good playoff spot."
The big key was patience at the plate, where the team had 11 base hits in the opener, including five extra base hits. In the second game, the Cougars were outhit 12-9, but still managed to swing a mean bat.
Jones said their hitting was an improvement over last week, where they struggled at the plate.
"The big key for us was today [Saturday] was getting some good pitches to hit," he said. "In past games last week, we felt like we were taking some good pitches and then getting us down in the count and also swinging at some bad pitches. That was an emphasis so far and I thought we did well with it today."
The Cougars bolted to a 2-0 lead after one inning as Josh Parker delivered a two run-scoring double. Otero sliced the lead in half, 2-1, in the fourth, before WNCC exploded for six runs on just two hits in the fifth inning for an 8-1 lead. After Otero scored four in the top of the sixth, WNCC put the game away in the bottom of the frame with eight runs.
Parker and Jason Sloan each delivered run-scoring doubles before Rodriguez ended the game on the 10-run rule with a home run.
Rodriguez paced the Cougars at the plate with a 3-for-4 game, including three runs scored and two RBIs. Also collecting multiple hits was Sloan going 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBIs, Parker going 2-for-2 with four RBIs, and Shane Wade going 2-for-4.
Tim Beard picked up the win, going 5 2/3 innings by scattering 12 hits and striking out five.
Game two was a tussle early on as the teams were tied 3-3 after three innings. WNCC then erupted for five runs in the fourth inning on just two hits. Sloan had a run-scoring single, while Elvis Garcia had a run-scoring double for an 8-3 lead.
WNCC added a single run in the fifth as Kevin Sanford singled home Jared Baros for a 9-3 lead. Otero fought back with five runs in the seventh on three hits before the Cougars got a fly out to centerfield with runners in scoring position to end the game.
"We were able to get a line drive to centerfield to end the game," Jones said. "You have to give Otero credit for not giving up and fighting for every at bat in that last inning. I think our pitchers should have been better right there at the end to close the game."
Sanford was the only Cougar with more than one hit as the North Dakota native went 2-for-3 wiht two runs scored and two RBIs. Baros also had a big game as he finished with three RBIs on just one hit.
Armani Gonzalez picks up the win in relief of Rodil Martinez. Martinez went just 1 1/3 innings, giving up a run on three hits. Gonzalez went five innings, giving up seven runs, walking eight and striking out four.
Game One
Otero 000 104 -- 5 12 2
WNCC 200 068 -- 16 11 1
WP -- Tim Beard; 2B -- Josh Parker 2, Jason Sloan, Oscar Rodriquez; HR -- Rodriguez.
Game Two
Otero (16-30) 021 000 5 -- 8 12 4
WNCC (19-27) 030 510 x -- 9 9 1
WP -- Armani Gonzalez; 2B -- Kevin Sanford, Elvis Garcia.
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