WNCC sweeps Trinidaid State, picks up 31st win of the season

The Western Nebraska Community College softball team used a six-run fifth inning to help the Cougars come back to claim game two two of their doubleheader, earning them a sweep of Trinidad State Junior College.

The Cougars won the first game 3-2 scoring all three runs in the fifth inning. They then overcome a 4-0 deficit with the six-run fifth to topple the Trojans 8-5. Sunday's wins gives the Cougars the No. 1 seed at the Region IX tournament next month.

WNCC still has two conference games to play -- Monday afternoon at McCook Community College -- but two losses will only tie the Cougars with Otero and WNCC holds the tiebreaker.

"We played really great today," sophomore Megan Burditt said. "We started a little slow to start but we came through with our bats in the end."

WNCC had to find that little extra to get the wins Sunday.

"Every game is a tough game," she said. "i am glad we came from behind in both games."

The wins also were sentimental for the sophomores, who played their last regular season home game at Volunteer Field. They will, however, host the Region IX tournament beginning May 7.

"As a sophomore, it means everything to get two wins in the final home games of the regular season," Burditt said. "it is nice to walk away from Volunteer Field with wins behind my back. We have to keep doing what we are doing by putting the ball into play and we should be ready for regionals."

WNCC found ways to win Sunday's doubleheader. The Cougars managed just two hits in the first game and then pounded out 12 hits in game two.

The first game definitely was a pitcher's dual between the Cougar's Taylor Anderson and Trinidad State's Sara Permenter. It was Trinidad that struck first with two runs on four hits in the fifth inning. WNCC didn't waste any time to bounce back, scoring three runs in the bottom of the frame.

Allie Alverson started things by reaching on an error. Burditt followed by drawing a one-out walk. Adena Hagen singled home Alverson with the first run and then Burditt and Hagen scored on a hit by Katie Groves.

After that, Anderson was unstoppable in the circle with a little help from her defense that turned a double play to end the game. Anderson went seven innings to get the win, allowing eight hits, striking out three and walking just one.

Parmenter was just as sizzling, tossing a two-hitter in the loss. But it was two costly errors in the fifth that did the sophomore in.

In the second game, Trinidad game out with plenty of fire, jumping to a 4-0 lead after two innings. In the meantime, the Trojans Jordyn Randolph was keeping the Cougar bats at bay. WNCC's biggest early scoring treat came in the fourth as Jordan Schoepflin singles followed by a double by Jacqui Cappuccilli. Randolph got out of the jam by striking out the side.

WNCC, though, came right back in the fifth and chased Randolph from the game as they plated six runs on seven hits. Megan Bourdon started things by rocketing a double to the fence. Alverson followed with a single to put runners in scoring position. Burditt than took a full-count and slapped a a triple to left field to score the Cougar's first runs of the game.

WNCC wasn't through as Burditt cut the lead to one after scoring on a Hagen sacrifice fly. Groves and Schoepflin followed with back-to-back singles, before Groves scored on a Cappuccilli double. Moments later, Ashton Hughes had a single to leftfield that scored Schoepflin and Cappuccilli to put WNCC up 6-4.

WNCC added two more runs in the sixth to go up 8-4 on two hits. Haden scored on a Groves hit that was booted. Groves later scored on a Schoepflin base hit.

Stephanie Townsend picked up the win going seven innings, giving up five runs on nine hits. Townsend struck out four and hit one batter. After a rough first two innings, where Townsend faced 14 batters, the sophomore from Roosevelt, Utah, allowed just one run and stranded just three Trojans on base as she faced 20 batters in five innings of work.

Burditt paced the team with a a 3-for-4 game, including two RBIs and a triple. Schoepflin also went 3-for-4 with a run scored and RBI, while Cappuccilli went 2-for-4 with a double. Hughes also had two hits with a double and two RBIs.

Burditt said they had to remain positive when they were behind early because they knew they would come back.

"We had to stay positive and keep hitting the ball into play," she said. "We all knew we had faith to put everything together and score some runs."

The Cougars, 31-17, will next be in action Monday when they face McCook Community College in a game that was moved up a day from Tuesday. After that, they will face the University of Wyoming on Thursday followed the Iowa Western tournament on Saturday and Sunday.

Game One

Trinidad 000 020 0 -- 2 7 2

WNCC 000 030 x -- 3 2 0

WP -- Taylor Anderson, LP -- Sara Parmenter; 2B -- WNCC (Allie Alverson), Trinidad (Leah Hanson).

Game Two

Trinidad (21-22) 220 001 0 -- 5 9 3

WNCC (31-17) 000 062 x -- 8 12 1

WP -- Stephanie Townsend, LP -- Jordyn Randolph; 2B -- WNCC (Jordan Schoepflin 2, Megan Bourdon, Ashton Hughes, Jacqui Cappuccilli), Trinidad (Shelbi Long); 3B -- WNCC (Megan Burditt).