The Western Nebraska Community College softball team played well defensively, including getting strong pitching performances from Ashton Hughes and Amanda Jones in taking a doubleheader from Dawson Community College Sunday afternoon at Volunteer Field.
The first game saw the No. 18 Cougars score seven runs in the inning to open up a tight contest to prevail 9-1. The second game saw Jones toss a complete-game shutout in limiting the Buccaneers to just five hits in the 4-0 win.
Both games, however, was not the Cougars best offensively. Defensively, however, the team played well, limiting Dawson to a combined nine hits in the two games. WNCC's defense really stepped up in the second game, turning two double plays. Dawson also only had two players touch second base in the second game.
The second game was close to, if not the best, in a Jones' outing in the circle. The freshman from Las Vegas, Nev., scattered the five hits, but only walked one batter. She also struck out just one, but got Dawson to either groundout or fly out.
"I thought Amanda Jones threw really well and Sarah Hawryluk had a couple of nice plays out in the outfield, but I suppose that double play was probably the highlight for us in game two," WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said. "Ashton didn't throw the ball too bad for us in game one, but offensively, I felt we are just know doing the things we have been doing all year long in having quality at bats. But, we got two wins and that is great. We still have to get better."Winn-Ratliff said that different players are stepping up in different situation, which is a positive she sees with this team.
"Our lefty slappers have done a really nice job for us, utilizing their speed in getting the ball in play and stealing bases," she said. "The positive for us is that different kids are stepping up and giving us some looks and giving us opportunities to win ball games. When we can put it all together, I think we have the potential to be a pretty good ball club.
Hughes also pitched well in the opening game allowing just one run and four hits in the contest. Hughes also struck out four and walked two. The only run in that game came from Dawson's leadoff hitter Nicole Miller, who walked and scored on a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the first.
Hughes also pitched well in the opening game allowing just one run and four hits in the contest. Hughes also struck out four and walked two. The only run in that game came from Dawson's leadoff hitter Nicole Miller, who walked and scored on a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the first. After that, Hughes settled in and dominated the Buccaneer batters.
Offensively, it took the Cougars a spell to get untracked. In the opener, after Dawson took a 1-0 lead after one inning, the Cougars scored twice in the top of the second on three hits. Jocelyn Stubbs started the hit parade by hitting her 11th home run of the season to right field. Aria Agle later singled and scored on a Mariah Faifer hit for the 2-0 lead.
The lead stayed that way until the top of the fourth when WNCC opened the game with seven runs on four hits. The big hits included run-scoring doubles by Stubbs and Faifer. Also getting singles in the inning were Agle and Allie Alverson.
WNCC finished the game with eight hits. Stubbs paced the team with a 2-for-2 game, including a home run, double, two runs scored and two RBIs. Alverson also had a breakout game, going 3-for-3 with three singles, a runs scored and three stolen bases. Agle also collected two hits, including two RBIs, two runs scored and two stolen bases.
The Cougars aggressiveness on the base paths proved crucial. WNCC finished with eight stolen bases including taking extra bases on overthrows. In the second game, WNCC managed just three stolen bases, but at the same time, they had trouble getting the clutch hit.
But, WNCC really didn't need to score with the performance Jones had in the circle and the performance of the defense behind the pitcher.
Dawson's Nicole Miller also tossed a stellar game, going all seven innings in allowing five hits and striking out six Cougars. Miller was just the victim of a Cougar offense that knew how to take advantage of miscues as well as utilizing their speed on the base paths.
After neither team scored in the first two innings, WNCC broke the ice in the top of the third with two runs on three hits. Hughes led off by drawing a walk. Alverson and Sarah Hawryluk then had singles to load the bases. Faifer came through with a single to score Hughes. Hawryluk came around to score the second run on a fielder's choice by Jordan Schoepflin, which showed Hawryluk's speed on the base paths in scoring from second base.
WNCC added single runs in the fifth and seventh innings. In the fifth, Hawryluk had a single and scored on a passed ball on the very next batter for a 3-0 lead.
The Cougars' final run was also dramatic. Faifer and Jacqui Cappuccilli earned 2-out walks. Faiger came around to score on a solid single by Jordan Schoepflin.
Hawryluk led the way with a 2-for-3 game with two runs scored. Schoepflin also collected two hits in going 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
The wins pushed the Cougars record to 21-6 and moved the WNCC team to 7-1 in Region IX play. WNCC will have two more Region IX games on the road this week when they face McCook Community College on Wednesday and Lamar Community College on Saturday. The Cougars will also travel to North Platte on Thursday and Seward County Community College on Sunday.
"We are going to face some good ball clubs this week," Winn-Ratliff said. "McCook is playing really well, North Platte is really streaky, and we still have to go to Lamar and play Seward, who got some big wins in Arizona. We really have to step our game up. We have to be better from start to finish, offense and defense, base running, and the energy level. It all has to be better for us to be successful."
First Game
WNCC 020 70 -- 9 8 0
Dawson 100 00 -- 1 4 3
WP -- Ashton Hughes, LP -- Lauren Binkoski; 2B -- WNCC (Jocelyn Stubbs, Mariah Faifer); HR -- WNCC (Stubbs).
Second Game
WNCC (21-6) 002 010 1 -- 4 6 0
Dawson 000 000 0 -- 0 5 1
WP -- Amanda Jones; LP -- Nicole Miller.
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