MCCOOK
-- The Western Nebraska Community College softball team finished the day with
seven doubles and six home runs in posting a conference doubleheader sweep over
McCook Community College Friday afternoon in McCook.
Bianca
Duran tossed a two-hitter and the Cougars had five players register multiple hits
in rolling to the 9-1 win. In the second game, RaVae Herrera had a grand slam,
Duran blasted two home runs and Kasey Cash tied the season home run record with
her 19th of the season as WNCC exploded for a 15-4 win.
"We
played really well today," Shelby McGraw, who had a second-game home run,
said. "We came together as a whole and we had a lot of timely hits that we
strung together. We run-ruled them in both games."
The
offense definitely came alive and it was whoever stepped to the plate that came
up with one or two big hits. McGraw said having that kind of offensive threat
throughout the lineup is beneficial.
"It
is really helpful because we always talk about that we are as strong as our
weakest link and right know I don't think there is a weak link on the
team," McGraw said. "We are solid one through nine in the whole
lineup."
In
the first game, WNCC belted five doubles and triple. The second game, the
Cougars had two doubles and six home runs. McGraw said what makes these two
conference wins sweet is that the team had plenty of RBIs.
"In
the first game we started off really good with a lot of RBIs and a lot of hits
and that is how we scored the first game," the freshman from Pueblo,
Colo., said. "Then we had a lot of home runs in the second game. The hits
were just timely in the games because we were up, let them back into it, and
then came right back at them again and kept on hitting.
The
second game was highlighted by the long ball that saw six home runs out of the
total 11 hits. McGraw said Herrera's first-inning grand slam really picked the
team up and it concluded with Cash's record-tying home run.
"It
really picked us up and gave us more energy to keep going and keep putting up
more runs," she said. "Then [on Cash's tying home run] we are excited
for her and we knew it was the tying one. We are hoping tomorrow [Saturday] or
Monday [away against NJC] she gets the season record."
Duran led off with a lead-off home run. The
home run parade continued in the first as McCook walked the bases loaded and
then Herrera delivered the grand slam over the centerfield fence for the 5-0
lead.
Cottle
came through with a third inning home run to make it 6-2. After McCook sliced
the lead in half at 6-3, WNCC put the game away, scoring a single run in the
fifth off of Duran's second home run of the game, before plating eight runs in
the sixth.
Shelby
McGraw got the sixth started with a solo homer. After that, the hitting attack
hit full throttle as Herrera doubled, Kayla Romey singled. After Duran walked
on four pitches, Cash delivered the season-tying home run, a 2-run shot over
left field.
WNCC
added two more hits in the inning as Cottle doubled followed by a run-scoring
single by McGraw.
The
Cougars had four players finish with multiple hits. Herrera paced the team with
a 2-for-4 game with two runs scored, four RBIs, a double and a home run. Also
collecting two hits were Duran with two home runs, two RBIs, and three runs
scored; Cottle with a double, home run, three runs scored, and two RBIs; and
McGraw with home run, a single, two runs
scored and two RBIs.
Herrera
picked up the win in the circle, going six innings, scattering six hits, four
runs, and striking out five.
WNCC's
offensive attack started in the first game as the 17th-ranked Cougars belted 14
hits, including five doubles and a triple. Five players finished with multiple
hits, including the bottom four in the lineup collecting seven hits.
Duran
paced the team with a 3-for-4 game from her lead-off spot. Duran finished with
two doubles, two runs scored, and a RBI.
Cash,
McGraw, Herrera, and Danielle Hearn each finished with two hits apiece. Cash
was 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and a RBI; McGraw was 2-for-4 with
two singles a run scored and RBI; Herrera was 2-for-4 with two runs scored; and
Hearn was 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored, and RBI.
Hailee
Mecham also came up big in the game with a 3-run triple.
Duran
was sparkling in the circle in the opener. The right hander from Westminster,
Colo., went six innings, allowing just two hits one run and striking out five
in just facing 21 batters.
WNCC
wasted little time in opening up the game, scoring six times in the second
inning. McGraw started the offense with a single followed by singles by Herrera
and Hearn to load the bases. Mecham then tripled to centerfield for the quick
3-0 lead.
WNCC
kept the offensive accelerator going as Duran and Cash had back-to-back
run-scoring doubles. Cottle followed with a run-scoring double for the 6-0
lead. WNCC put the game away with a single run in the fifth and two in the
sixth to run-rule the Indians.
WNCC,
38-7, will get back to action today when they compete in the Colby tournament
where they will face Seward County Community College at 11 a.m., Barton
Community College at 1 p.m., and then No. 1 ranked Butler Community College at
5 p.m.
"We
just have to limit mistakes [Saturday], play smart like we know how, and play
like a team," McGraw said. "I think we can be successful if we do
that."
First Game
WNCC 060
012 -- 9 14 0
McCook 010
000 -- 1 2 0
WP -- Bianca Duran; 2B -- Duran 2, Kasey Cash, Jennifer
Cottle, Danielle Hearn; 3B -- Hailee Mecham.
Second Game
WNCC 501
018 -- 15 11 0
McCook 021
001 -- 4 6 1
WP -- RaVie Herrera; 2B -- Herrera, Jennifer Cottle; HR
-- Duran 2, Herrera, Cottle, Cash, Shelby McGraw.
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