Western Nebraska Community College’s Lauren Bourdon missed hitting for the cycle by a single. Still, Bourdon and the rest of her Cougar softball team pounded out 34 hits in two games in sweeping a pair of Region IX games from Trinidad State Junior College Saturday in Pueblo, Colo., 12-4 and 15-7.
“We started out the games timid and we were down in each game,” WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said. “Then in the third inning we settled down. I am pleased with the wins.”
What pleased Winn-Ratliff the most was the way the team hit, recording 34 hits and scoring 27 runs. Freshman pitcher Natasha Dypchey also sparkled from the circle collecting both wins, while striking out a combined 13 batters in both games.
“Our bats came alive and we had run production all the way through,” she said. “Lauren Bourdon really shined today. She struck out in her first at bat [in the second game against Trinidad] and then had a double, triple and home run.”
Bourdon, though, was just one of the bright spots for the Cougars. In the first game, Jessica Ventoza, Jessica McNabb and Kara Ryman all pounded out two hits each in the 12-4 win.
Ryman finished with four RBIs, while McNabb had a triple. Bourdon, Amanda Hensley and Lauren Mills each had doubles in the game. The difference in game was Dypchey’s pitching, who struck out nine and walked just one batter in the opening game.
Trinidad led 4-1 before the Cougars scored five times in the fifth and sixth innings to forge ahead 11-4. Mills started the fifth with a double followed by walks to Ventoza and McNabb. Hensley then pounded a 2-run double. Ryman followed later with a 2-run scoring single followed by Bourdan’s run-scoring double.
The sixth inning saw the Cougars pound out four hits, all singles.
WNCC started slow in the second game, falling behind 6-0 after two innings. The Cougars came back, though, scoring six times in the third to tie the game on seven hits. The big blows were doubles by Ventoza and Bourdan, and a bit 2-run single by Ryman.
Trinidad came back and took a 7-6 lead after three with a single run in the bottom of the inning. WNCC re-sponded with a 8-spot in the top of the fourth on nine hits.
The fourth inning saw doubles by Amanda Torimaru, Ryman, McNabb and Hensley. Ryman and Hensley’s scored two runs. Bourdon added an extra punch in the inning, blasting a 2-run home run to put WNCC up 14-7.
WNCC added a single run in the fifth as Bourdon tripled and scored on a a Mills single. Bourdon and Hensley were 3-for-4, while Ryman was 2-for-4. Bourdon had four RBIs, while Hensley had three RBIs.
Dypchey picked up the win coming in relief of Jessica Pexton. Dypchey allowed three hits and struck out four in 3 1/3 innings.
WNCC, 3-4 overall and 2-0 in Region IX play, will be back in action today against Lamar Community College in a triple-header beginning at 11 a.m.
First Game
WNCC 001 055 1 — 12 13
Trinidad 103 000 0 — 4 8
WP — Dypchey; 2B — Bourdan, Hensley, Mills; 3B — McNabb.
Second Game
WNCC 006 81— 15 21
Trinidad 331 00 — 7 8
WP — Dypchey; 2B — Ventoza, Bourdon, Torimaru, Ryman, McNabb, Hensley; 3B — Bourdon; HR — Bourdon.
No comments:
Post a Comment