The Western Nebraska Community College and Lamar Community College tuned up for this weekend's Region IX playoffs with a 9-inning contest at Cleveland Field in both teams regular season finale.
The contest was close throughout, but Lamar scored three ninth inning runs to take the 6-2 win. The contest was switched a a 9-inning contest instead of the usual 2 7-inning games since both teams were locked into the playoffs after the Cougars split a doubleheader with Trinidad State on Sunday."It is playoff time know and this is what the guys have been working hard for since they got to Scottsbluff," WNCC coach Mike Jones said. "This is the time when it really starts to get exciting and right know we are playing our best baseball. We don't get a win today, but at the same time it was a much closer game then what the score represented."
Even though the Cougars dropped the final contest, it was a dogfight. Both teams only gave an inch early on. Jones said it was just a matter that Lamar got the clutch hits when they needed.
"It was a close game. We had two guys on in the bottom of the eighth," Jones said. "We had our opportunities to win the game. We didn't come up with a whole lot of hits although we hit some balls hard. Lamar just made some nice plays."
Neither team scored a run through the first five innings. Lamar finally cracked the scoring drought with a single run in the sixth on a walk and a single by starting pitcher Tim Zufall. WNCC immediately tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. Trevor Kriesel started things with a single and scored on a passed ball.
Lamar took the lead for good with two runs in the seventh on just two hits. WNCC sliced the lead in half with a run in the eighth. Camilo Baldelomar started things by reaching base on a 2-out error and later scored on a double steal.
Lamar put the game away in the ninth as they scored three times on three hits.
WNCC had plenty of chances to score, leaving runners in scoring position four times throughout the contest. The Cougars managed just three hits in the contest, and their first didn't come until the sixth inning with Kriesel's lead-off single.
WNCC used six different pitchers in the contest. Zak Porter took the loss on the mound, giving up two runs in just two-thirds of an inning.
The Cougars and Lamar will know face each other in the first round of the regional playoffs. The best of three series begins Saturday and wraps up Sunday with possibly two contests. Jones said they have to do the little things to advance to the Region IX championship series.
"We will have to pitch and play good defense," Jones said. "It will come down to us holding their hits down and giving our offense a chance to do what they do best. We are not an offense that will put up 10 runs; we will have to win some close ball games. it will probably come down to execution late in the game."
On Sunday, the Cougars split a doubleheader with Trinidad, but in the process was guaranteed a berth in the Region IX playoffs. WNCC didn't blister Cleveland Field with a lot of hits; they just did what they had to for the win.
In the opening game, the Cougars managed just two hits, but it was a four-run fifth inning that was highlighted by walks and hit batsman that gave the Cougars the 4-0 victory. The second contest saw the Cougars get four hits, but the Trojans scored five times to take the 5-0 lead.
The first game was a pitchers dual. WNCC's Jeff Schmitt had a complete game with a three-hitter against the Trojans, but Trinidad's Jake Johnson was also rolling along with a 2-hitter until the fifth when the wheels fell off.
It all started with Benly Ramos singling to center field. After that, the Cougars worked the count for five straight walks or hit batsman to scored three runs. Kevin Sanford scored the fourth run on a sacrifice fly by Nelson Quintero for the 4-0 lead.
That was all the Cougars need as Schmitt was sensational on the hill. Schmitt walked just one and struck out three in the win.
Offensively, the Cougars only two hits came off the bats from Ramos and Jake Montoya.
WNCC was a little better offensively in the second game, managing four hits, but the big problem was the outs were hit right to the Trinidad defense and the Cougars never really got things uncorked.
Trinidad scored its first run in the third and then added two more each in the fourth and fifth inning.
Terry McNabb took the loss, going five innings and giving up nine hits, five runs while striking out three. John Bravard threw the last two innings, striking out two and not allowing a hit.
Offensively, Quintero led the team with a 2-for-3 game. Sanford had the only extra base hit on the day with a double.
Sunday's Games
First Game
Trinidad 000 000 0 -- 0 3 0
WNCC 000 040 x -- 4 2 3
WP -- Jeff Schmitt.
Second Game
Trinidad 001 220 0 -- 5 9 1
WNCC 000 000 0 -- 0 4 2
LP -- Terry McNabb 2B -- Kevin Sanford.
Monday's Game
Lamar (41-14) 000 001 203 -- 6 10 2
WNCC (18-31) 000 001 010 -- 2 3 3
LP -- Zak Porter.
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