WNCC baseball team nipped in final day of Spring Break trip on March 17

                PHOENIX, Ariz. -- The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team couldn't let a 5-1 lead stand up in dropping its final game of the South Mountain Tournament 6-5 to Chandler-Gilbert Community College on Saturday.

                The Cougars finished the tournament 0-6 as they return home to face the University of Northern Colorado Club team Tuesday at Cleveland Field.

                WNCC was primed to pick up its first win in the tournament, bolting out to the 5-1 lead after five innings. The Cougars scored a single run in the first as Josh Bride singled and then was lifted for courtesy runner Grant Rimington. Rimington later scored on a error by Chandler-Gilbert's shortstop.

                After Chandler Gilbert answered with a run in the first, The Cougars scored two times each in the second and fifth inning. Keaton Krause and Andy Padron each singled and scored on scored each scored on a Bride single.

                In the fifth, the Cougars offensive ignited with four singles by Nick Vanthillo, Jake Vore, Benly Ramos and Krause. Vore and Ramos each scored.

                The Cougars could hold the lead. Chandler-Gilbert scored a single run in the sixth and then four runs in the seventh. The fourth was highlighted by run-scoring triples by Tyler Hollick and Eric Urry.

                WNCC had ninth-inning rally going to tie or go ahead as Pep Gonzalez led off with a triple, but was then out at home on a fielder's choice hit by Vanthillo.

                Chandler-Gilbert out hit the Cougars 14-13 with four combined triples hit in the contest. WNCC had just one by Gonzalez. WNCC had three players finish with multiple hits. Bride and Padron each went 2-for-3, while Ernesto Punales went 2-for-4 and Jake Vore went 2-for-5. Vore and Punales each had two stolen bases.

                Gianfranco Bernal was saddled with the loss after throwing well for the first half of the game. Bernal went 6 1/3 innings allowing six runs on 12 hits. Brett McPhail finished off the contest, going 1 2/3 innings in giving up two hits.

WNCC (8-15)                      120 020 000 -- 5 13 2

Chandler-Gilbert              100 001 40x -- 6 14 2

LP -- Gianfranco Bernal; 3B -- Pep Gonzalez.