The Cougars played well offensively and defensively in opening game to earn a 5-2 win. In the nightcap, the Cougars committed four fielding errors to drop the contest 7-6.
“I thought Casey [Simpson] did a nice job on the mound. We did some nice things to get her some run support early,” head coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said. “I thought she pitched well. She also had a good outing Monday [against Trinidad] as well. In the second game, Steph [Townsend] did exactly what she needed to do to keep us in the ball game. We just didn’t execute when we needed to. We gave up seven runs and all of them were unearned. We just have to show that we can play defense behind her and show we can score runs. Late in the game we started hitting the ball well, but how many times are we going to rely on the sixth and seventh inning. We have to be able to play a full seven innings.”
Black Hills fought tooth and nail with the Cougars. Both teams combined for 30 hits, with WNCC getting 17 of those in the two contests.
“They are a good ball club and they are much improved,” Winn-Ratliff said. “They threw all four of their pitchers at us. We just have to do a better job from start to finish.”
In the opener, Simpson scattered five hits while allowing two unearned runs in getting the victory. The freshman from Nokomis, Saskatchewan, struck out four and walked just one.
The Cougars flashed their offensive power early and often in game one. Adena Hagen started the game with a single and scored on a Katie Groves two-out single to left field. Black Hills fought back, taking a 2-1 lead after two innings on two unearned runs on two hits, an error, a walk and a hits-batsman.
The Cougars quickly changed the complexion of the contest in the third inning. Hagen started things with a one-out single. Hagen came around to score on a Sofia Gomez double. Groves followed with her eighth home run of the season to put the Cougars up 4-2.
WNCC added an insurance run in the fourth inning. Simpson helped her own cause out by unleashing a one-out single. Simpson scored two batters later on a Lauryn Smith single to left field for the 5-2 lead.
The Cougars, who pounded out just seven hits, was led by Groves with a 2-for-3 game, including three RBIs and a home run. Hagen finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
WNCC started game two on a mission offensively, playing two first-inning runs. With two outs, Kelly Pearson started things after being hit by a pitch. Groves followed with a single. Alec Voci then singled in Pearson and Groves for the quick 2-0 lead.
Black Hills came storming back, scoring three times in the second and third innings for a 6-2 lead. The Yellow Jackets scored their runs on six hits and three costly fielding errors. Kelli Graham had the big hit for the Jackets with a 2-out double to plate two runs in the third inning.
WNCC, however, fought back, scoring three times in the fourth inning to slice the lead to 6-5. Kelsey Garner started the inning with a single, followed by a run-scoring triple by Alyssa Hickey and a run-scoring single by Tonya Atencio. With two outs, Gomez had a RBI double to cut the lead to one digit.
Black Hills added an insurance run in the fifth inning as Katie Wagner walked and scored on a throwing error.
WNCC had its opportunities to mount a late-inning comeback. In the fifth inning, Groves led off with a double but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. The Cougars then had a seventh-inning rally. With two outs, Pearson reached base on a ball that went under the third-baseman’s glove. Pearson scored on a Groves double for the run of the contest.
Townsend took the loss in the circle, going five innings while giving up seven runs, all unearned, and scattering seven hits. Townsend, the freshman from Roosevelt, Utah, struck out two and allowed four free passes.
Simpson finished off the game, throwing two innings in relief, striking out two and allowing one hit.
Groves paced the Cougars with a 3-for-4 performance, including two doubles and a RBI. Atencio also finished with multiple hits, going 2-for-3, while Hickey went 2-for-2 with a triple and a single. Voci went 1-for-4 with two RBIs, while Gomez went 1-for-4 with a double and a RBI.
Winn-Ratliff said they have to learn from the mistakes they made against Black Hills State and come out Friday and Saturday ready to play.
“We did what we were supposed to in game one and if we do that day in and day out, we are going to win a lot of ball games,” she said. “If we kick the ball around and don’t hit behind runners, don’t execute by bunting or moving runners, it makes for a long day. Right now I am upset and I hope the kids are upset. It is never a good thing to lose, especially at home when you have a lot of fans supporting you. We have to get refocused for conference games this weekend.”
WNCC will host Dawson Community College in doubleheaders Friday and Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. both days. Winn-Ratliff said Dawson is a talented team.
“They are much improved and they have a new coach,” she said. “We need to do what we need to do to support our pitchers. We also need to come out and play defense and put the ball into play. We know if we do that, we can play with anybody in the country; it is just a matter of putting all three of those things together.”
Game One
BHSU 020 000 0 – 2 5 1
WNCC 103 100 x – 5 7 1
WP – Simpson; LP – Katie Wagner; 2B – WNCC (Gomez); HR – WNCC (Groves).
Game Two
BHSU (6-5) 033 010 0 – 7 8 1
WNCC (16-12) 200 300 1 – 6 10 4
WP – Karissa Norte, LP – Townsend, Save – Ashley Grose; 2B – WNCC (Gomez, Groves 2), BHSU (Graham); 3B – WNCC (Hickey),
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