Cougar softball goes 1-3 at Triple Crown Invite

Cougar softball goes 1-3 at Triple Crown Invite

The Western Nebraska Community College softball team finished 1-3 at the Triple Crown Invite in Ft. Collins, Colo., over the weekend faring well against four-year competition. The Cougars only win in the tournament came against the University of Northern Colorado 2-1. They also lost a heartbreaker to Montana State 7-6. They also fell 9-0 to Regis University and 11-0 to Colorado State University.

WNCC fell behind 1-0 after three innings in the Northern Colorado game. The Cougars bounced back in the fourth with two runs as Amanda Torimaru reached base on an error and scored on a Amanda Hensley double. Hensley came around to score on a ground ball for a 2-1 lead.

That was all the runs WNCC needed as pitcher Natasha Dypchey fanned seven UNC Bears for the game, while scattering seven hits.

In the near-miss game against Montana State, WNCC trailed 5-1 entering the sixth inning, but put up a four-spot to tie the game. The Cougars had three doubles and a triple in the inning.

Lauren Mills started the inning with a double to left field. With two outs, Torimaru ripped a run-scoring triple to open the flood gates. Ashley Eichelberger and Jessica Ventoza followed with run-scoring doubles followed by run-scoring single by Jessie McNabb.

Montana State came back with a run in the bottom of the sixth, before WNCC tied the game in the top of the seventh on a single by Whitney Foster, who scored on a 2-out double by Kara Ryman.

WNCC’s other two losses came against top four-year schools. Regis University held the Cougars to just three hits on its way to the 7-0 win. Against Colorado State, the Cougars managed just one hit, a third-inning single by Foster.

The Cougar’s next action is this weekend in the 3-day Lamar Community College tournament. WNCC will face Barton County Community College and Northwestern Community College on Friday, Trinidad State Junior College and Seward County Community on Saturday, and Ft. Lewis State College and Colby Community College on Sunday.