WNCC softball goes 5-0 on season

STERLING, KAN. -- The Western Nebraska Community College received three stellar pitching performances from Jordan Schoepflin, Taylor Anderson, and Brittany Enterline to help the No. 11 Cougars stay perfect on the season in games Thursday in Sterling, Colo.

Jordan Schoepflin limited Sterling to just four runs as the Cougars pounded out 16 hits, including a home run by Ashton Hughes, for the 10-4 win.

Taylor Anderson and Brittany Enterline then shut down Hutchinson Community College in the twinbill as the Cougars recorded a 4-0 and 16=7 sweep over the Blue Dragons.

This is also the first time in school history that the Cougars are unbeaten after the opening week of the season. The Cougars are 5-0 on the season and have scored 71 runs in five games.

"Jordan, Taylor and Enterline threw well and it was nice to go on the road and go 5-0," WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said. "Ashton Hughes played very well in all five games."

Winn-Ratliff was especially pleased with the team's performance in the second game with Hutch as they battled back from a 6-0 early deficit to score14 runs in the final two innings to collect the victory.

"I was very proud of the girls in the second game with Hutch because they fought back after they were down 6-0 to take the lead in the sixth inning," she said. "Megan Bourdon had two big hits in that rally coming in off the bench. It was a good trip and hope we can carry over our performance into conference next week in Lamar."

WNCC turned things around in that second game against Hutch, trailing 7-2 after five innings. The Cougars came back with nine runs in the sixth inning to go up 11-7. The big hit in the inning came from Ashton Hughes, who belted a 2-run home run.

Several players finished with multiple hit games. Katie Groves went 4-for-5 with a run scored, two doubles and six RBIs, while Hughes went 2-for-6 with a home run and two RBIs. Megan Burditt and Tonya Atencio also went 3-for-6. Burditt had three runs scored and a double, while Atencio scored two runs.

Also collecting two hits in the win were Boudon with a double, Brittany Chacon with three runs scored, and Allie Alverson with three runs scored and two RBIs.

Enterline picked up the pitching win going 6 2/3 innings, while scattering 12 hits, striking out four and walking one.

That win capped off a perfect two days for the Cougars. In the first game against Hutchinson, Taylor Anderson struck out six and scattered four hits in getting the complete game, shut out.

WNCC scored a single run in the first inning as Burditt singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Groves. WNCC added three insurance runs in the fifth inning.

Burditt went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. The other two hits came from Groves and Stephanie Townsend.

In the day's opening game, the Cougars opened up a tight game early to roll to the 10-4 win. WNCC held just a 6-4 lead after three innings before scoing two runs in the fifth and single runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

Schoepflin went the distance in scattering 10 hits, while striking out four.

WNCC finished the game with 16 hits. Hughes paced the team with a 4-for-4 performance including two RBIs, four runs scored. Hughes also popped a third-inning 2-run scoring home run.

Groves finished the game going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a RBI, while Atencio, Townsend and Alverson all had two hits. Alverson had two RBIs, while Townsend had a double and two RBIs.

WNCC will be back in action Feb. 27-28 when they open up conference play with a trip to Lamar Community College followed by a doubleheader at Frank Phillips College.

Game One
WNCC 123 021 1-- 10 16 4
Sterling 103 000 0 -- 4 10 0
WP -- Jordan SChoephflin (1-0); 2B -- Katie Groves (2), Megan Burditt, Steph Townsend.

Game Two
WNCC 100 030 0 -- 4 4 3
Hutchinson 000 000 0 -- 0 4 6
WP -- Taylor Anderson (2-0); 2B -- Townsend.

Game Three\
WNCC (5-0) 000 209 5 -- 16 15 1
Hutchinson 510 100 0 -- 7 12 1
WP -- Brittany Enterline (2-0); 2B -- Groves(2), Megan Bourdon; HR -- Hughes.