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| Bree Bitton |
MCCOOK -- Bree Bitton hit three home runs and drove in eight in helping a No. 18 Western Nebraska Community College offensive attack that pounded out 32 hits, six of which were home runs, in sweeping McCook Community College Wednesday afternoon in McCook.
In the opener, Ashton Hughes had a no-hitter entering the fifth inning and the Cougars had 12 extra base hits of their 18 hits in collecting the 16-0, first-game win. The second saw Bitton hammer two home runs and the Cougars finished with 14 hits in getting the 14-3 win. Both games were Region IX contests.
WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff was pleased to see this kid of offensive outburst the weekend's wins over Dawson. She said her team played well in wind gusts that at times reached 40 miles per hour.
"Bree and Jordan [Schoepflin], I thought, really hit the ball well today. Sarah Hawryluk did a nice job of getting on base and everybody got a hit and that is important for us to put the ball in play," she said. "McCook is a pretty good ball club and they didn't play as well as they have lately. But we did all the things we needed to do to win. The nice thing for us is that w finally put a team away and won both games in five innings."
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| Jordan Schoepflin |
What really made things joyful was how they played a complete game.
"Ashton threw really, really well. She had a no hitter into the fifth," she said. "We just did a lot of things well today. We still have to get better, but the intensity level was much better start to finish. They showed up to play and hopefully we can continue to do that.
"Saturday and Sunday was frustrating. We got the wins, which is obviously a good thing. but for them to come out today, we not only pitched well, but we did the things we needed to do to be successful."
In the opening game, Hughes was simply sensational, striking out 10 McCook batters and allowing a fifth inning single. Hughes, however, struck out the side in the fifth after putting two runners on in the fifth inning.
In the opening game, Hughes was simply sensational, striking out 10 McCook batters and allowing a fifth inning single. Hughes, however, struck out the side in the fifth after putting two runners on in the fifth inning.
Offensively, WNCC controlled the contest, scoring four times in the first and leading 7-0 after four innings. The Cougars put the contest away in the fifth with a 9-run outburst on eight hits, including 2-run home runs each from Bitton and Megan Bourdon. They also had doubles in that inning from Aria Agle and Schoepflin.
WNCC started the contest off well as Sarah Hawryluk walked and scored on a Mariah Faifer double. A couple batters later, Jocelyn Stubbs hit her 12th home run of the season with a 3-run shot over the left field fence. WNCC never looked back after that.
WNCC pounded out 18 hits in the win with seven batters finishing with two more hits. Stubbs and Allie Alverson led the team with 3-for-4 appearances. Stubbs finished with a double, home run, three runs scored and five RBIs, while Alverson had a triple and a run scored.
Collecting two hits each were Hawryluk, Faifer, Schoepflin, Bitton and Agle. Schoepflin finished with two runs scored, three RBIs and two doubles, while Faifer had three runs scored, a RBI and two doubles. Bitten had a home run, a triple, and three RBIs.
WNCC was just as explosive offensively in the second game, finishing with seven extra base hits in its 14 hits. Bitton and Stubbs each collected three hits in the contest and combined for nine RBIs. Bitton hammered two home runs, the first coming in the third with a 2-run shot over center field. Bitton had a 3-run home run in the fifth.
Hughes had the other home run in the contest, delivering a 2-run shot in the fourth inning to score Bitton. WNCC scored five times in the fourth on six hits, including double by Bitton, Cappuccilli and Schoepflin.
Bitton finished the game with five RBIs, three runs scored, two home runs and a double, while Stubbs had three singles, two runs scored, and four RBIs. Schoepflin and Hughes also pounded the ball well, each finishing with two hits each. Schoepflin was 2-for-3 with three runs scored, two doubles and two RBIs, while Hughes was 2-for-2 with a home run, and two runs scored.
Amanda Jones collected the win in the circle, going five innings in allowing five hits, three runs and striking out two.
Wednesday's wins pushed the Cougars record to 23-6 overall and 9-1 in conference play. WNCC will have two more games Thursday when they travel to North Platte Community College.
"The girls are playing extremely well in conference games," Winn-Ratliff said. "I think some more kids picked up some more confidence. It was nice that we went out and took care of business and the biggest thing that we have been trying to talk them about is making a statement. We are on the right track, but we just have to keep that going."
First Game
WNCC 401 29 -- 16 18 2
McCook 000 00 -- 0 1 4
WP -- Ashton Hughes; 2B -- Sarah Hawryluk, Mariah Faifer 2, Jordan Schoepflin 2, Jocelyn Stuffs, Aria Agle; 3B -- Bree Bitton, Allie Alverson; HR -- Stubbs, Bitton, Megan Bourdon.
Second Game
WNCC (23-6) 203 54 -- 14 14 2
McCook 000 03 -- 3 6 2
WP -- Amanda Jones; 2B -- Jacqui Cappuccilli, Schoepflin 2, Bitton; HR -- Bitton 2, Hughes.
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