Cougar baseball team lets one slip away against Northern Colorado

                The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team let a win slip through their grasp Wednesday evening at Cleveland Field.

                The Cougars, who pounded out 11 hits and scored nine runs, couldn't hold off a couple University of Northern Colorado Club team rallies in falling to the Bears 11-9 in 10 innings.

                The loss was the Cougars seventh straight.

                What makes this loss disappointing is that the Cougars had the win in their grasps. UNC scored single runs in the first and second innings for a 2-0 lead, but WNCC quickly tied the contest in the bottom of the second as Jake Vore walked followed by Keaton Krause reaching on base on a fielder's choice. Andy Padron scored both runs with a sharp single to left field to tie the score.

                WNCC went up 5-2 in the fourth with three runs on two hits. Padron started the inning by walking and scored on a Josh Bride hit that was thrown widely to first base. Bride came around to score on a Max Brennan sacrifice before Pep Gonzalez scored on a Nick Vanthillo single.

                The lead didn't last as UNC scored three times in the fifth and once in the sixth for a 6-5 lead.

                WNCC mounted a late comeback scoring single runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Vanthillo started the seventh with a single and scored on a single by Familla to tie the game. WNCC took the lead in the next inning as Padron singled and scored on a bulk for a 7-6 lead.

                The game became very exciting after that as UNC made a ninth inning comeback to take a 9-7 lead on two errors and a single. WNCC then mounted a comeback of their own in the bottom of the ninth.

                Jake Vore started the rally with a single to rightfield. Benly Ramos then reached on an error. Ramos was then lifted for pinch runner Ernesto Punales. Familia then developed the tying hit, a single to right centerfield to score Vore and Punales to force extra innings.

                The extra inning saw UNC score twice on one hit and an error and several walks for the win.

                The Cougars had four players finish with multiple hits. Andy Padron went 2-for-3, while Oscar Familia and Benly Ramos each went 2-for-4. Nick Vanthillo also had two hits. Familia finished with two runs scored and two RBIs.

                Meier tossed the ninth and 10th innings to collect the loss in giving up five runs on three hits. Zak Porter started the contest and went four innings in allowing two runs on three hits with three strike outs. Also seeing action on the mound were Terry McNabb, Jeff Schmitt, Brett McPhail, Nick Hernandez and Dalton Goings.

                WNCC will look to get back on the winning track when they host McCook Community College in a four-game series on Saturday and Sunday at Cleveland Field. The Empire Conference games have a 1 p.m. first pitch.

UNC Club             110 031 003 2 -- 11 10 4

WNCC (8-16)      020 300 112 0 -- 9 11 6

LP -- Tre Meier; 2B -- Benly Ramos.