Hughes had two home runs and Megan Bourdon had one home run as the Cougars claimed the opening game 9-0. In the nightcap, the Cougars scored 10 runs in the fourth and fifth inning behind home runs from Hughes, Jacqui Cappuccilli and Adena Hagen for a 10-2 win.
"Defensively and offensively we did really well," Hughes, the freshman from Saskatchewan, Canada said. "The way we are hitting, it is all a momentum thing."
WNCC ignited offensively in the two games, combing for 18 hits and 10 extra base hits.
In the opener, the Cougars received a stellar pitching performance from Taylor Anderson and dominated the game from the opening inning. Anderson allowed just five hits and struck out two to get the 9-0 win.
WNCC scored a single run in the first and four more in the second for a quick 5-0 lead. WNCC finished off the game with two runs each in the fourth and fifth inning for the final runs.
Hughes started the long-ball parade with a solo home run in the second inning. She then hit her second solo home run of the game in the fourth inning.
The final home run came from Bourdon, whose 2-run shot in the fifth inning ended the game because of the 8-run rule.
Hughes was 2-for-2 with two home runs, and two RBIs, while Katie Groves was 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
The second game was a little iffy at the start as Dawson jumped out to a 2-0 lead after three innings. The Cougars, however, didn't push the panic button as they rebounded with eight runs in the fourth inning to take an 8-2 lead.
Hughes said it was just a matter of time before their bats broke out.
" We just knew we had to go out and do the things that needed to be done in order to score runs," she said.
Cappuccilli started the offensive barrage by delivering a 2-run home run. A couple batters later and with two outs, Hagen connected on a booming shot to score another two runs to help the Cougars to the 8-2 lead.
Hughes finished off the game with a 2-run home run in the fifth that ended the game because of the 8-run rule.
Stephanie Townsend threw well in the getting the win in the circle. The sophomore from Roosevelt, Utah, allowed five hits, walked two and struck out five.
Offensively, WNCC finished with nine hits. Cappuccilli, Groves and Hagen all went 2-for-3. Groves had a double, a run scored and a RBI, while Cappuccilli had a home run and two runs scored.
Also collecting extra base hits in the contest were Jordan Schoepflin and Townsend, who all had doubles.
Hughes said one of the reason for the success is the pitching staff.
"We did well," she said. "The pitchers are throwing really well. They are hitting their spots more, so they are limiting the amount of hits that the opposing team has."
WNCC, 26-16 overall and 11-3 in conference play, will continue its road trip on Sunday as they will travel to Laramie, Wyo., to face the University of Wyoming. After that they will have a doubleheader at McCook Community College before returning home next weekend for key conference games against Otero Junior College and Trinidad State Junior College.
Dawson 000 00 -- 0 5 2
WNCC 140 22 -- 9 9 0
WP -- Taylor Anderson; 2B -- Jordan Schoepflin; HR -- Ashton Hughes 2, Megan Bourdon.
Game Two
Dawson (2-18) 200 00 -- 2 6 0
WNCC (26-16) 000 82 -- 10 9 0
WP -- Stephanie Townsend; 2B -- Schoepflin, Katie Groves, Townsend; HR -- Hughes, Adena Hagen, Jacqui Cappuccilli.
No comments:
Post a Comment