Monday, March 11, 2013

WNCC baseball sweeps Trinidad State



                [March 3, 2013] TRINIDAD, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College picked up a conference doubleheader sweep over Trinidad State Junior College on Sunday.
                Ryan Bender had a home run and three RBIs to lead the Cougars to an impressive 9-2 win. The second game saw the Cougars score two runs in the eighth inning to capture a 7-5 win to even the weekend series at 2-2.
                The second game was exciting as WNCC had a 5-1 lead only to watch Trinidad score twice in the sixth and seventh inning to force extra innings.
                The Cougars, who pounded out 13 hits in the contest, got three of those hits in the eighth inning. Keeton Krause led off with a double and scored on a first-pitch, 2-run home run over the 360-foot fence for the 7-5 lead.
                WNCC’s Grant Piccoli then picked up the save, by shutting down the Trinidad batters, striking out one and inducing two fly balls for the win. Ernesto Punales picked up the win on the mound by pitching 1 1/3 innings.
                The Cougars scored one run in the second on three straight hits. Bender started things with a single followed by singles by Krause and Martinez. WNCC added two more runs in the fourth inning as Alex Michaud and Bender singles and scored on a Anthony Delgado.
                WNCC’s fifth run came in the sixth as Martinez singled and later scored.
                WNCC had three players finish with multiple hits. Bender and Martinez each went 3-for-4, while Krause went 2-for-4. Bender had two runs scored, while Martinez had a home run, two runs scored, two RBIs, and a stolen base. Krause had a double and a stolen base.
                WNCC used four pitchers in the second-game win. Nick Vanthillo started and went five innings, allowing one run on four hits and striking out two. Kyle Shoutta followed by throwing two-thirds of an inning in allowing five hits and two runs before Punales took over allowing two runs on two hits. Piccoli finished off the game by striking out one and walking one.
                The opening day on Sunday saw the Cougars battle back from a 1-0 deficit to put up nine runs on eight hits.
                The Cougars scored twice in the second and third inning to take a 4-1 lead on two home runs. The second inning was highlighted by a 2-run home run by Bender for a 2-1 lead.  The third inning saw Snyder get plunked by a pitch and then score on a 2-run home run by Michaud.
                WNCC added a single run in the fifth, before blowing the game open with a 3-run sixth inning. Martinez started the inning with a single. Delgado then reached base and both scored on a Zach Ostergard double. Ostergard scored two batters later as Snyder doubled to leftfield.
                Bender paced the Cougars from the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBIS, two runs scored and a home run. Martinez also collected two hits in the contest with three stolen bases, a run scored and a RBI.
                Ostergard, who was moved to the lead-off batting position, finished with a double and two stolen bases. Michaud finished the game with two RBIs, three runs scored, a home run, and a stolen base.
                Gering’s Grant Rimington picked up the win with a stellar showing on the mound. Rimington went 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs while scattering five hits. The right-hander struck out five and had 15 first-pitch strikes in the 24 batters he faced.
                Krause finished off the game, tossing the final 1 1/3 innings allowing just one hit.
                The Cougars are scheduled to host Lamar Community College on Saturday and Otero Junior College on Sunday in conference doubleheaders.

First Game
WNCC                   022 013 1 – 9 8 1
Trinidad               101 000 0 – 2 6 4
WP – Grant Rimington; 2B – Zach Ostergard, Cameron Snyder; HR – Alex Michaud, Ryan Bender.             

Second Game
WNCC                   010 211 02 – 7 13 1
Trinidad               010 002 20 – 5 11 0
WP – Ernesto Punales, S – Grant Piccoli; 2B – Alex Michaud, Keeton Krause, Pablo Garcia; HR – David Martinez.

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