WNCC softball goes 3-2 in opening tournament

                MIDLAND, Texas --  The Western Nebraska Community College softball team finished off the Midland Tournament with a 3-2 mark in opening the season.       

                After going 1-2 on Friday with two heart-breaking losses, the Cougars picked up their offense in posting two wins on Saturday. WNCC started the day with an 11-hit attack in a 7-5 win over Clarendon College. The Cougars finished off the tournament as Jordan Smith tossed a one-hitter as they prevailed 8-0 over Luna Community College.

                Smith's pitching and the Cougars quick-strike offense was a key in the second game. Smith allowed just a first-inning single. After that, the freshman from Wellville, Utah, settled down in striking out three and walking one in facing just 18 batters.

                In the meantime, the offense struck early. Ball led off the game with a solo home run. WNCC then had five singles, including a run-scoring single by Shelby McGraw and then a 3-run single by Kelsey Bernhardt.

                WNCC added a single run in the second and then two more in the third as Lindsay Guymon blasted a 2-run home run for the 8-0 win.

                The Cougars had nine hits, led by Guymon with a 3-for-3 with a home runs, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Ball's hit was the only other extra base hit.

                In the opener, WNCC opened with three runs in the first and a single run in the second for a 4-0 lead. Clarendon came back with four runs in the third to tie the game. Each team scored single runs in the fourth before the Cougars plated two, fifth-inning runs. Alysa Linford had the big blow in the inning, blasting a 2-run home run that scored Morgan Varoz.

                Other big hits in the game came from Varoz, who had a 3-run triple in the first inning. The other extra base hit came from Jessica Ball, who had a double in the second.

                WNCC had 11 hits as three players had multiple hits. Ball led the way with a 3-for-4 game with a double and RBI. Linford and Lindsay Guymon each went 2-for-4. Linford had two RBIs and a home run, while Guymon had two singles and a run scored.

                Varoz had a triple and three RBIs in the win.

                Madison Davis picked up the win in the circle, going four strong innings in allowing just one run, striking out eight and allowing three hits. McGraw started and went three innings, allowed five hits, four runs, and struck out two.

                On Friday in the season opener, McGraw tossed six strong innings and Jessica Ball hammered a solo home in registering a 4-0 win over Western Texas College.

                The second game saw the Cougars lose a heartbreaker, falling to No. 5 Howard College 6-5 in a game where the Cougars jumped out to a 5-0 lead. The nightcap saw the Cougars fall iin a seventh inning home run to Midland 4-3.

                WNCC will be back in action today when they face No. 10 Odessa and Coastal Bend College in Odessa, Texas, before facing Colby Community College on Monday in Lamar, Colo.        

Saturday's Games

Game One

WNCC                   310 120 0 -- 7 11 2

Glarendon          004 100 0 -- 5 8 2

WP -- Madison Davis; 2B -- Jessica Ball; 3B -- Morgan Varoz; HR -- Alysa Linford.

Game Two

WNCC (3-2)        512 00 -- 8 9 0

Luna                      000 00 -- 0 1 2

WP -- Jordan Smith; HR -- Ball, Lindsay Guymon.

Friday's Games

First Game

WNCC                   002 010 1 -- 4 6 0

W. Texas              000 000 0 -- 0 4 1

WP -- Shelby McGraw; HR -- Jessica Ball.

Second Game

WNCC                   131 000 0 -- 5 10 1

Howard                                002 202 x -- 6 7 2

LP -- Jessica Smith; 2B -- McGraw, RaVae Herrera; 3B -- Alysa Linford.

Third Game

WNCC                   100 002 0 -- 3 5

Midland               101 001 1 -- 4 10

LP -- RaVae Herrera; 2B -- Ball.