The Western Nebraska Community College softball team gave the six sophomores a memorable finish to the regular season Sunday afternoon against Luna Community College at Volunteer Field.
The Cougars swept Luna topping the Rough Riders 5-1 in game one behind a 3-run home run by Jocelyn Stubbs and a 3-hit pitching performance from Ashton Hughes. Game two was even more dramatic as Megan Bourdon hit her 17th home run of the season, tying the season home run record with a grand slam in the fourth inning in leading the Cougars to the 10-1 win.
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| Megan Bourdon's record tying grand slam. |
It was the 20th ranked Cougars' 47th and 48th wins of the season as they enter the Region IX tournament next Friday as the No. 1 seed in their quest for a second straight regional title. WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff was glad to see the team come around offensively as they enter the post-season.
"We have to do better in supporting our pitchers by doing that with offense and by playing fundamental defense," she said. "This is May and we have to get better because we are making mistakes that can't happen in post season play. If we can clean those up, continue to get the pitching, and the hitting performance, then we will be ok."
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| Jacqui Cappuccilli sliding to third. |
Sunday, the Cougars started to do that. The games were also about sophomores. The six sophomores -- Jordan Schoepflin, Megan Bourdon, Jacqui Cappuccilli, Amanda Saldivar, Allie Alverson, and Ashton Hughes -- all played a part in the two wins.
"We wanted to make sure all six had an opportunity to be in the games," Winn-Ratliff said. "Allie makes a great diving catch, Ashton does it both offensively and defensively, Megan had the crowd going by tying the home run record today, Jacqui came up with some nice plays, Jordan did some nice things offensively and defensively, and Sal is just Sal, who will come out and play hard every day.
"It is nice that they all got to contribute and it was significant contributes for the weekend in finishing the series in going 4-0 and get some positives out of it. We are excited for them and we hope that they not only leave our facility winning ball games, that we can leave Lamar, Colo., [where the regional tournament will be played] winning ball games."
Luna grabbed an early lead in game one with a single run in the second inning, only to see the Cougars come back to score two in the third for the 2-1 lead. WNCC added three more in the fifth as Jocelyn Stubbs hit a 3-run home run. It was Stubbs first home run over the fence since the middle of March.
Hughes picked up the complete game win, allowing three hits and striking out three and walking just two.
WNCC pounded out eight hits in the win. Sarah Hawryluk went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Bree Bitton also chipped in two hits, including a double. Stubbs had the only other extra base hit with her 15th home run of the season.
The Cougars played well in game two as Amanda Jones and Aria Agle combined on a 4-hitter. Jones picked up the win, going four innings in allowing one run, three hits and striking out three.
Offensively, WNCC heated up in the third, scoring three times. Alverson and Saldivar each reached base on a walk and a single and both scored on a Bourdon double. Hawryluk followed with a single to score Bourdon for the 3-0 lead.
Luna came back by scoring a single run in the fourth inning to slice the lead to 3-1, but WNCC responded with a 7-run, 5-hit inning to go up 10-1. The inning started with back-to-back singles by Hughes and Alverson. Saldivar then walked to load the bases. Bourdon then hit a grand slam that tied the school record for home runs in a season to center field.
WNCC wasn't through as Cappuccilli and Schoepflin each walked before Stubbs hit her 16th home run of the season for the 10-1 lead.
Bourdon paced the team from the plate with a 2-for-3 game, including a double, a home run, two runs scored and five RBIs. Hughes also went 2-for-3 with two singles and a run scored, while Saldivar went 2-for-2 with two runs scored. Alverson also scored two runs on a 1-for-1 game including a base on balls.
First Game
Luna 010 000 0 -- 1 3 0
WNCC 002 030 x -- 5 8 2
WP -- Ashton Hughes, LP -- Vanessa Vigil; 2B -- Bree Bitton; HR -- Jocelyn Stubbs.
Second Game
Luna 000 10 -- 1 4 0
WNCC (48-13) 003 7x -- 10 8 2
WP -- Amanda Jones, LP -- VIgil. 2B -- Megan Bourdon; HR -- Bourdon, Stubbs.
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