WNCC baseball topd to Seminonole State

                [March 22, 2013] PHOENIX -- The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team scored 10 runs in the sixth and seventh inning to finish off their Spring Break trip with an 11-9 win over Seminole Community College on Friday.

                The Cougars pounded out 11 hits in the win, including home run by Ozzie Gonzalez and triple by JT Core.

                Friday's win was huge for confidence after the team fell to Seminole on Thursday 14-2.

                In Friday's win, the Cougars fell behind 6-1 after four innings before finding their offense. WNCC scored five runs in the sixth on just one hit. The Cougars also did most of the damage with two outs as the Seminole pitchers walked three, hit one batter, and the defense committed a huge error that resulted in five Cougar runs to tie the game at 6-6. The only hit was a 2-out single by Core.

                After Seminole went back in front 7-6 in the top of the seventh, WNCC went ahead for good in the bottom of the frame. with five runs on four hits. Gonzalez started the inning with a solo home run. Pablo Garcia and Keeton Krause then had back-to-back singles. WNCC then went to work with two outs, scoring four more runs.

                Things started as Anthony Delgado loaded the bases on an error. The Cougars scored another run a batter later after Pablo Garcia reached first on a dropped third strike. Core than tripled to score three runs for the 11-7 lead.

                Seminole scored single runs in the eighth and ninth innings, before Ernesto Punales got three flyouts to end the game.

                Core paced the Cougars with a 4-for-5 game with four RBIs, a double and a triple. Garcia also had multiple hits, with two singles.

                Jason Palser started the game and went three innings in giving up five runs on just one hit. Palser walked four and struck out four. Nick Vanthillo followed with five innings pitched to get the win. Vanthillo allowed three runs on four hits and struck out four. Punales picked up the save in allowing just one run on one hit.

                In Thursday's loss, the Cougars managed just three hits in the contest while Seminole finished with 14 runs on 15 hits.

                WNCC's only runs came in the third as Delgado and COre walked and scored on a Cameron Snyder triple.

                Snyder paced the Cougars with two of the three hits. Snyder had two RBIs and a triple. Alex Michaud had the other hit, a double.

                Felix Ojeda-Sanchez took the loss on the mound, going just two innings in allowing six runs on seven hits, while walking three and striking out two.

                WNCC (8-20) will return to action Tuesday when they travel to Sterling, Colo., to face Northeastern Junior College in a 9-inning Empire Conference contest.

Thursday's Game

Seminole             241 133 0 -- 14 15 0

WNCC                   002 000 0 -- 2 3 2

LP -- Fellx Ojeda-Sanchez; 2B -- Alex Michaud; 3B -- Cameron Snyder.

Friday's Game

Seminole             010 500 111 -- 9 6 2

WNCC                   001 005 50x --11 11 1

WP -- Nick Vanthillo, S -- Ernesto Punales; 2B -- Gabriel DeLa Rosa, JT Core; 3B -- Core; HR -- Ozzie Gonzalez.