LAMAR, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team gave Lamar Community College all it wanted plus some in the first round of the Region IX playoffs on Sunday.
Unfortunately, Lamar had just a tad more power than the Cougars as the WNCC baseball team came to an end, falling 16-14 in a wild one at Merchant Field in Lamar on Sunday.
The two Region IX teams combined for 30 runs, 33 hits and five home runs in the contest. Lamar now advances the Region IX championship series against Otero Junior College. Otero beat Trinidad twice on Sunday to earn that series win.
WNCC coach Mike Jones said the way his team played over the weekend shows just how much they have battled through adversity.
“We really played better than what the score would indicate,” WNCC coach Mike Jones said. “We were very explosive on offense. We played really good defense and made some good plays. Unfortunately we didn’t pitch well enough to keep them off balance. It was a very hard fought game. Both teams hit some very good pitches. It was a game of really good offensive production on both sides; just not enough pitching.”
WNCC went into Sunday’s contest with its back against the wall after dropping the first game of the Region IX playoff series 8-6 on a ninth inning home run on Saturday. Sunday, both teams didn’t want to lose and they played to win.
“It was a battle and a heavy weight fight,” Jones said. “They scored. We scored. They scored and then we scored. It just went back and forth. Nobody was going to give up or give in. No one was going to let up. It was a very intense, long, and hard fought game. Unfortunately, we came up on the wrong end of it. I am extremely proud of the guys. They played really well. We hit our peak at the end of the year like we should; we just came up a few runs short.”
WNCC got behind the 8 ball early, falling behind 5-0 after two innings and 10-4 after five innings. The Cougars fought back each and every time. In the third, the Cougars put up three runs on three hits. Reimer Alambarry had the big hit in the inning, collecting a run-scoring double. Camilo Baldelomar also had a run-scoring single.
After Lamar went up 10-4, WNCC came back to tie the contest with six runs n the sixth inning. WNCC had five hits in the contest. The inning started with three straight singles by Jake Vore, Nelson Quintero and Paul Singh to load the bases. Benly Ramos scored the first run on a fielder’s choice hit.
The Cougars continued hitting on all cylinders in the inning. With two outs, Baldelomar scored another run after reaching on an error. After that, Kevin Sanford and Jake Montoya delivered run-scoring doubles to tie the contest at 10-10.
WNCC couldn’t hold the lead in the bottom of the frame, giving up five runs on six hits as Lamar grabbed a 15-10 lead. WNCC kept the offensive attack going, coming right back in the seventh with four runs on three hits. Quintero and Jake Peltz each singled and Singh reached on an error to load the bases. Alambarry cleared the bases with one crack of the bat, delivering a grand slam to right field to bring the Cougars to within one, 15-14.
Lamar added a single run in the seventh to go up 16-14, but WNCC wouldn’t fade away easily, making a run in the ninth. Ramos started the inning with a double and after Alambarry walked to put the tying run on base, Lamar’s closer shut the door on any possible Cougar comeback.
All nine Cougar batters collected at least one hit in the contest. Five Cougars finished with multiple hits, led by Alambarry with a 2-for-4 game, including a home run, five RBIs and three runs scored. The sophomore also had two walks.
Sanford also had a big game, going 2-for-6 with a triple, double, four RBIs and a run scored. Also for the Cougars, Vore went 2-for-3 with a run scored, Quintero went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, and Ramos went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, a RBI and a double.
WNCC’s Terry McNabb took the loss on the mound, going 1 1/3 innings in giving up five runs on six hits, while striking out one. Carlos Luzon started the contest, going two innings and giving up five runs on five hits. Jake Stutzman also threw 2 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on five hits, while striking out two. John Bravard finished off the contest, going two innings and giving up just one run on three hits.
WNCC finished the season at 18-33. Jones said the guys can hold their heads high after the way they played this weekend.
“The guys really represented Western Nebraska with a lot of pride,” he said. “They were not going to give in both games this weekend. They were down there to give it everything they had and they gave it everything they had. We came up a little bit short, but that is part of baseball. It is just how baseball can go sometimes. Sometimes the ball finds the hole and other times it doesn’t. It was a enjoyable two games. Of course we would have loved to win both of them. I definitely felt that if we would have, we would be on a really good run because we are playing our best baseball here towards the end.”
WNCC 003 016 400 – 14 14 1
Lamar 050 235 100 – 16 19 2
LP – Terry McNabb; 2B – Reimer Alambarry, Kevin Sanford, Jake Montoya, Benly Ramos; 3B – Sanford; HR -- Alambarry
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