WNCC baseball splits with McCook on Saturday

               The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team stopped a seven-game slide by earning a split with McCook Community College Saturday afternoon at Cleveland Field.

               The Cougars scored six, sixth-inning runs to post a 6-3 win in the opener in stopping their losing skid. But, WNCC couldn't keep it up as they fell 5-2 in game two.

               WNCC coach Mike Jones said that Jeff Schmitt pitched well in the opener to give the Cougars the win. Schmitt went seven innings in scattering eight hits, including a seventh inning home run.

               "Schmitt pitched a good game," he said. "He kind of lost track on the inside fastball, but he pitched a really good ball game and we played good defense behind him. We were able to rally late in the game and take care of them."             

               WNCC trailed 2-0 through most of the game but finally put something together in the sixth when they plated six runs. The big hit was a 3-run double by pinch-hitter Oscar Familia to put WNCC ahead.

               Jones was pleased to see the Cougars mount that late rally.

               "That rally was really needed because we are lacking a little bit offensively," he said. "We needed to come up with some big hits in scoring opportunities. it was great to see Oscar Familia step up to take care of an opportunity with the bases loaded. McCook made some mistakes that gave us some opportunities that we were able to take advantage of."

               WNCC took a quick 2-0 lead in the second game after Josh Bride walked and scored on a sacrifice fly. Benly Ramos then came through with a 2-out home run for the quick lead.

               The Cougars bats, however, went silent after that. WNCC managed just two hits in the contest with the second coming in the seventh on a Familia single.

               McCook tied the game with single runs in the second and fourth, before taking the lead for good with two runs in the fifth. The Indians finished the contest with 11 hits.

               Jones said the big key for his team is getting its offensive mojo back.

               "RIght now we are struggling a little bit offensively," he said. "McNabb pitched a pretty good game [in the second one], we played pretty good defense, and McCook did a nice job of manufacturing runs. The big thing for us is finding a way to get more offensive production with a few guys in our lineup. Right now, we are not getting anything from three or four guys. We are going to work on getting better."

               WNCC will be back in action Sunday when they host McCook in another Empire Conference doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at Cleveland Field.

               "Conference games are always important and we have Nick Hernandez in the first one and Gianfranco Bernal in the second," Jones said. "It will be important for us to play good defense behind the guys. We have to find more offensive production. Somehow, someway, we just need to do a little bit better offensively."

Game One

McCook               000 200 1 -- 3 8

WNCC                  000 006 x -- 6 4

WP -- Jeff Schmitt. 2B -- Oscar Familia.

Game Two

McCook               010 121 0 -- 5 11

WNCC                  200 000 0 -- 2 2

LP -- Terry McNabb; HR -- Benly Ramos