Softball wins third straight regional title

The Western Nebraska Community College softball team captured its third straight Region IX tournament by sweeping through the tournament at La Junta, Colo., over the weekend.

                The Cougars, capturing their 16^th straight victory, used strong defense and a stellar pitching performance from Freshman of the Year Bianca Duran pushing their overall record to 45-24 with a 5-1 win over Lamar Community College in the title game Sunday afternoon.

The win sends the Cougars into the NJCAA National Championships in St. George, Utah, May 17-19. But, for now, the team is basking in the glory of claiming the teams third straight regional title and fourth in five years.

 "I would have to say it feels really good to be regional champs and I am so proud of my team," sophomore Aria Agle said. "We worked really hard and we had some tough times, but we worked
through it together"

                Duran, who pitched the Cougars to all three wins, can’t describe the feeling that is going through her right now.

 "It is hard to describe what it feels like until you do it. The sophomores talked about it and right now I am the happiest person in the world," the freshman from Westminster, Colo., said, after the game. “I am so proud of my team and I am so proud of everyone for going all out. This is what we worked for and we did it."

The road to the title wasn’t an easy one. The Cougars opened the tournament with a 4-3 win over Lamar Community College on Friday. After that, they claimed an 1-0, 10-inning win over Trinidad State Junior College Sunday morning in a game that was called after seven innings on Saturday because of lighting issues

Once they moved into the championship game, they put together clutch hits and another stellar defensive effort in dropping Lamar 5-1.

One of the big keys in the tournament was a play in the Trinidad State game, where leftfielder Aria Agle's throw to home plate in the Trinidad State game became huge. That play thwarted the Trojans from getting the go-ahead run and, thus, forced the extra innings. Agle said she was just doing her job on the field.

“I got my chance and I took it," Agle said about that throw Saturday that cut down the go-ahead run during regulation against Trinidad. "i was so ready to throw that girl out and I wanted it so bad for my team and for myself. i just did what I had too."

Duran also came up big in not only the 10-inning contest against Trinidad, but also Lamar. It was a performance in the circle and at the plate all season that helped her in being selected as the Freshman of the Year.

Duran said the defense is what won the title for the Cougars.

"I thought the defense was great," she said "We had solid defense and I don't know how many errors we had because I really don't think we had any. I think the defense really stepped it up and we got the job done when we needed to."

The championship game was epic. The Cougars opened the scoring in the first as Sarah Hawryluk and Danielle Hearn led off with singles. Duran then laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Hawryluk and then Jocelyn Stubbs singled to score Hearn for the 2-0 lead.

 Lamar plated its run in the third on two hits and an error to cut the deficit in half. Neither team scored again until the sixth when the Cougars opened up the contest with three runs on two hits and three free passes.

Kasey cash and Agle started the rally by earning 2-out walks. Bree Bitton then came through with a single to score one run. Brandi Percival followed by getting hit by a pitch to load the bases. Hawryluk then came through with a 2-run-scoring single for the 5-1 lead.

 WNCC's defense then silenced the Lamar offense in its final at bat. Duran induced two ground outs to start the inning and then Hawryluk made a running catch on a fly ball to center field for the final out and the victory.

Duran went seven innings in allowing three hits and striking out three.

 The Cougars pounded out eight hits. Hawryluk and Bitton each had two hits in the contest. Bitton had the only extra base hit with a double in the fourth inning.

As much as the championship game was exciting, the conclusion of the Trinidad State game was a heartstopper. Both teams went scoreless on Saturday through seven innings before the game was called because of lighting issues. When the two teams met up Sunday morning, the Cougars had a prime scoring opportunity to end the game in the ninth as Agle doubled and then Hawryluk had a bunt double, but neither run came home to force the international tie-breaker rule in the 10th.

Trinidad drew first blood to score but was thwarted when their go-ahead run was thrown out at the plate from a throw from shortstop Kasey Cash to Jocelyn Stubbs. WNCC then came to bat and ended the game. Danielle hearn was placed at second and was sacrificed to third by Duran. Stubbs then came up and drove a pitch down the left field line to easily score Hearn with the game-winner.

 Duran pitched 10 innings in the contest, allowing seven hits and striking out seven.

 The Cougars pounded out 10 hits in the win. Hawryluk, Cash and Agle all had two hits each in the contest. Agle and Hawryluk each had a double, while Cash had a triple.

 Several Cougars also picked up post-tournament awards. Earning Region IX first team honors were Duran as a pitcher,Stubbs as catcher, and Hawryluk and Agle as outfielders. Earning second team all-region honors were Amanda Jones, Cash, Mariah Shepherd and Bitton.

Other awards handed out saw Duran receiving the Freshman of the Year honors, McoOok's Veronica Castron as Player of the Year; Maria Winn-Ratliff as the Region IX Coach of the Year and Outstanding Coach of the Year; and Dawson Community College with the sportsmanship award.

Duran was surprised to receive the Freshman of the Year honor.

 "I wasn't expecting it, but it is a good feeling," Duran said. "Freshman of the Year is a big deal and I am happy that I worked hard to earn that."

 Duran said they need to play defense and stay within themselves to do well at the national tournament.

 "I think for nationals we need to come out knowing that we are the best and the only people that can beat us is ourselves," she said. "if we do that, we can be untouchable like this weekend and go undefeated."

Tournament seedings and opponents will be released later in the week.

First Game
Trinidad                000 000 000 0 -- 0 7 1
WNCC                   000 000 000 1 -- 1 10 0
WP -- Bianca Duran; 2B -- Sarah Hawryluk, Aria Agle; 3B -- Kasey Cash.

Championship
Lamar                    000 000 0 -- 1 3 0
WNCC (45-24)    200 003 x -- 5 8 1
WP -- Bianca Duran; 2B -- Bree Bitton.