WNCC softball falls in opening round, second contest postponed because of rain

                  ST. GEORGE, Utah – Salt Lake Community College’s Ariel Zimmerman fanned a tournament high 16 Western Nebraska Community College batters as the Cougars fell in their opening round contest 5-1 against the Bruins Thursday in the first day of the NJCAA national tournament in St. George, Utah.

                WNCC’s elimination contest with Central Alabama Community College was halted because pf rain after two innings with the Trojans ahead 2-1. The contest will resume Friday morning at 9 a.m. with the winner advancing into another must-win contest at 1 p.m.

                “We did struggle at the plate in the first game. Their pitcher threw really well and we didn’t make adjustments at the right time,” freshman Mariah Faifer said. “We didn’t hit to our full potential and we didn’t hit like we usually do and that would have made a difference between a win and a loss.”

                The Cougars know have their backs against the wall where they know that one loss and their season is over. The Cougars could have four games on Friday if they win the early morning contest against Central Alabama. Faifer said there is no room for error.

                “I think knowing that a loss ends our season will motivate us because everyone here wants to start a new tradition,” she said. “We want to win and play how we expect because we want to keep moving forward.

The opener was all Zimmerman, who controlled the Cougar bats in tossing a one-hitter. WNCC, however, had their chances to plate runs, but couldn’t get the clutch hit when needed.

                Zimmerman, in the meantime, placed her name in NJCAA tournament history. Her 16 strikeouts were the second-highest total in NJCAA tournament history, one shy of the 17 punch outs set by Lauren Eckermann of Temple JC in 2006.

Salt Lake got all the offense it needed in the first two innings as the Bruins tallied a single run in the first and three more in the second, with the big blow coming off a two-run single by shortstop Krystin Jachim.

WNCC finally cracked the scoreboard with a single run in the fourth. Jacqui Cappuccilli reached base after being hit by a pitch. Jordan Schoepflin followed after reaching base on a hard hit to the second baseman. Cappcuccilli then stole home on a double steal for the only run of the contest.

The Cougars also had a prime scoring opportunity in the fifth as Aria Agle and Amanda Saldivar were walked with just one out. But, both runners were stranded

Mariah Faifer had the only hit of the contest with a single in the third inning. Salt Lake managed eight hits on the day, six of which came in the first two innings where the Bruins did their damage.

WNCC starter Ashton Hughes pitched well in a losing effort, allowing three earned runs (five total) on eight hits with five strikeouts Trojans each have three hits in the contest.

Against Central Alabama, the Cougars fell behind 2-1 after two innings before the game was stopped because of wet fields. Faifer said they need to come out and get their offense going and not leave runners on base. In the CACC contest, the Cougars have already stranded five runners.

“We need to figure out what will work for us and what will benefit us to win,” she said. “The only way to win is by scoring.”

WNCC (51-14)    000 100 0 -- 1 1 2

Salt Lake              130 001 x -- 5 8 1
WP – Ariel Zimmerman; LP – Ashton Hughes.

First Round Tournament scores

Yavapai College 3, Pitt C.C. 1

McLennan 6, Iowa Western 2

Tallahassee 3, Butler 2 (8 innings)

Miami Dade 7, Darton 5

Lake Land 6, Blinn 2

Northeast Oklahoma 13, Volunteer State 2

Howard 6, Central Alabama 2

Salt Lake 5, WNCC 1

Today’s games

9 a.m.

Pitt vs. Iowa Western

Butler vs. Darton

Blinn vs. Volunteer State

WNCC vs. Central Alabama

11 a.m.

Yavapia vs. McLennan

Tallahasse vs. Miami Dade

Lake Land vs. NE Oklahoma

Howard vs. Salt Lake

WNCC softball ready for national tournament

                ST. GEORGE, Utah – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team enter the NJCAA national tournament with plenty of fire.

                For starters, the Cougars enter the tournament with a No. 15 seed with a 51-13. WNCC will tangle with Salt Lake Community College, the No. 2 seed with a 52-6 record at 1 p.m. at The Canyons Softball Complex in St. George, Utah.

                The match up pits two of only four 50-plus winners in the first-round of the double elimination tournament.

Sophomore Allie Alverson, from Toole, Utah, said that when they heard they drew Salt Lake in the first round, they were excited since six of the Cougar players are from Utah.

“We are ready. We have been practicing the last two days getting ready in preparing for Salt Lake Community College. I think we will be prepared for them,” Alverson said. “I think we have a good chance at beating them or everyone. I think this will be a good game and us Utah kids really want to show it to them.”

                WNCC is on an 11-game winning streak and have won 21 of its 23 games. What sets this team apart is their drive to make some noise at the national tournament.

                “This team has told me that they want to go back to back and they also want to be the first to win a game at the national tournament and show people we are Western Nebraska,” WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said. “It is not just about getting to the national tournament; it is about competing when we get there. We tell them to win every inning and if we can do that, we will be in position to win at the end of the game.”

                Alverson said this team can live up to the goals they have set since practices have been going well.

                “I think we can. I think this team can win not one but a couple games down here,” she said. “we have a good team and will be ready to go tomorrow [Thursday]. Practices down here have been going really good and we all have been excited and ready to play.”

                WNCC’s march to its second consecutive trip to the national tournament and third in the past four years, was highlighted by a team that doesn’t have one or two stars; they have many players that have stepped up throughout the year.

                The Cougars are paced by two 20-game winners in the circle Ashton Hughes, who was named Region IX player of the year, comes into the tournament with a sparkling 30-4 record with an earned run average of 2.17. The sophomore from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, set a school record for strikeouts in a season with 261.

                Right behind Hughes is Amanda Jones, a freshman from Las Vegas, Nev., has also sizzled from the circle with a record of 20-8 with an ERA of 3.42. Jones has struck out 90 in 163 innings pitched.

                Winn-Ratliff said that while the entire pitching staff has performed well, including relief pitchers Sarah Ward-Hadden and Aria Agle, she said that every one of the players, at some time, have come up with key games.

                “Both pitchers have done a good job for us all year and offensively we have done a good job of supporting them,” Winn-Ratliff said. “I have a ton of depth in the circle and that is a big attribute for us. Sarah Ward-Hadden has also come in and did the things she needed to do when she was called upon and Aria Agle has played with a broken finger most of the year before seeing time as a pitcher late.

                “But, I don’t want to take credit away from any one because I thought all 14 of them, day in an day out, did what we needed then to do. This is a total team effort. In previous years we might have had some kids stand out, but this year it has been a team effort and someone different would show up every day.”

                The Cougar’s depth includes an offensive attack that has hammered the ball to the tune of 75 home runs this season, a school record. Megan Bourdon leads the team with a school-record 18 homes. The sophomore also has 66 RBIs and 70 runs scored from her lead-off position.

                Right behind Bourdon is freshman Jocelyn Stubbs who has 16 home runs on the season along with 67 RBIs and 54 runs scores. Stubbs was named Region IX Freshman of the Year. Jacqui Cappuccilli also has provided a boost as well with 15 round trippers.

                Like WNCC, Salt Lake also has plenty of power. The Bruins have hit 91 home runs on the season, led by sophomore Krystin Jachim with 19 home runs. Freshman Savanah Webster has also hammered 13 homes with a batting average of .503.

                The Bruins’ pitching staff is bolstered by Ariel Zimmerman with a 26-3 record and a 2.14 ERA. Zimmerman has struck out 279 batters this season. Right behind Zimmerman is Kylee Colvin with an 18-1 record and a 2.36 ERA.

                If the Cougars win their opener, they will face the winner of the Howard College and Central Alabama Community College at 7 p.m. Thursday. A first-round loss puts the Cougars in the loser’s bracket against the loser of the Howard and Central Alabama game at 4:30 p.m.

                The double elimination tournament continues through Saturday with the championship game. Tournament games will have live audio for games 1 through 27 and then live video for the rest of the games.

NJCAA First Round Tournament Schedule

Thursday, March 19

#1 Yavapai (AZ) College (62-4) vs. #16 Pitt (NC) CC (49-8), 10 a.m.
#8 McLennan (TX) CC (36-16) vs. #9 Iowa Western CC (47-12), 10 a.m.
#4 Miami Dade (FL) College (33-20) vs. #13 Darton (GA) College (47-9), 10 a.m.
#5 Tallahassee (FL) CC (37-20) vs. #12 Butler (KS) CC (45-8), 10 a.m.
#2 Salt Lake (UT) CC (52-7) vs. #15 Western Nebraska CC (51-13), 1 p.m.
#7 Howard (TX) College (40-18) vs. #10 Central Alabama CC (45-5), 1 p.m.
#3 Blinn (TX) College (51-6) vs. #14 Lake Land (IL) College (41-10), 1 p.m.
#6 Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (48-11) vs. #11 Volunteer (TN) State College (38-8), 1 p.m.

WNCC's Pinto signs with Oregon State

                Western Nebraska Community College’s Thais Pinto never had dreams of playing sports in college before coming to the United States.

Now, after two years at WNCC, the 6-foot-7 center will get to showcase her basketball talents at Oregon State University after signing a letter of intent.

                “I chose Oregon State because I feel very comfortable with the school's environment,” Pinto said. “Also, I felt very welcomed when I visited. I'm very excited to come there because I feel that Oregon State will send me in the right path with my major, as well as athletics.”

                Pinto is the tallest player ever to compete in Oregon State women’s basketball history and ties for the second tallest player to ever compete in Pacific 10 Conference history. Oregon State coach Scott Rueck is excited to sign the WNCC center.

                “I am excited to announce the addition of Thais Pinto to this year’s recruiting class,’ Rueck said in a press release. “She is a talented and experienced international student-athlete with a bright and charming personality that will fit our program perfectly. To go along with her height, she is a gifted athlete, has great hands and a mature feel for the game. As is true with our previous signees, we expect Thais to have an immediate impact on our program. She is one more reason we’re excited about our future.”

                Pinto said she had several colleges that made contact with her, including University of Southern California, Kansas and Austin Paey, but decided to be a Beaver over a Trojan.

                Pinto, from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, led the country in field goal percentage last season, converting 68 percent of her attempts (100-148) to average 11.0 points per game, adding 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots over 20 games played.

                Pinto is entering an Oregon State team that is on a rebuilding mission. Last season the Beavers went 9-21 and won just two games during the second semester. The Beavers have a very young squad returning with just one senior.

Pinto hopes she is ready for the Division I level.

                “I really don’t know if I am ready for the next level,” she said. “I think that I have to work hard and develop some abilities that I don’t have. With all my effort, I will be prepared to play.”

                Pinto said before she came to WNCC, she had plans to just study in Brazil, but the opportunity to play in the states piqued her interest in the sport. She also played volleyball in Brazil. Pinto will graduate with an associate’s degree from WNCC on Saturday. She said she holds many memories from her two years in Scottsbluff.

                “My two years was great,” she said. “My first year was very difficult for me because I didn’t know English well. But a lot of people helped me during this time. The second year was amazing. The team was good and I could understand what coach Harnish was saying. I have some of the great memories here. I want to say thank you to coach Harnish and WNCC for all support during these two years. I will miss all teachers, coaches and friends.”

               

WNCC baseball losses wild one at Lamar 16-14

                LAMAR, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team gave Lamar Community College all it wanted plus some in the first round of the Region IX playoffs on Sunday.

                Unfortunately, Lamar had just a tad more power than the Cougars as the WNCC baseball team came to an end, falling 16-14 in a wild one at Merchant Field in Lamar on Sunday.

                The two Region IX teams combined for 30 runs, 33 hits and five home runs in the contest. Lamar now advances the Region IX championship series against Otero Junior College. Otero beat Trinidad twice on Sunday to earn that series win.

                WNCC coach Mike Jones said the way his team played over the weekend shows just how much they have battled through adversity.

                “We really played better than what the score would indicate,” WNCC coach Mike Jones said. “We were very explosive on offense. We played really good defense and made some good plays. Unfortunately we didn’t pitch well enough to keep them off balance. It was a very hard fought game. Both teams hit some very good pitches. It was a game of really good offensive production on both sides; just not enough pitching.”

                WNCC went into Sunday’s contest with its back against the wall after dropping the first game of the Region IX playoff series 8-6 on a ninth inning home run on Saturday. Sunday, both teams didn’t want to lose and they played to win.

                “It was a battle and a heavy weight fight,” Jones said. “They scored. We scored. They scored and then we scored. It just went back and forth. Nobody was going to give up or give in. No one was going to let up. It was a very intense, long, and hard fought game. Unfortunately, we came up on the wrong end of it. I am extremely proud of the guys. They played really well. We hit our peak at the end of the year like we should; we just came up a few runs short.”

                WNCC got behind the 8 ball early, falling behind 5-0 after two innings and 10-4 after five innings. The Cougars fought back each and every time. In the third, the Cougars put up three runs on three hits. Reimer Alambarry had the big hit in the inning, collecting a run-scoring double. Camilo Baldelomar also had a run-scoring single.

                After Lamar went up 10-4, WNCC came back to tie the contest with six runs n the sixth inning. WNCC had five hits in the contest. The inning started with three straight singles by Jake Vore, Nelson Quintero and Paul Singh to load the bases. Benly Ramos scored the first run on a fielder’s choice hit.

                The Cougars continued hitting on all cylinders in the inning. With two outs, Baldelomar scored another run after reaching on an error. After that, Kevin Sanford and Jake Montoya delivered run-scoring doubles to tie the contest at 10-10.

                WNCC couldn’t hold the lead in the bottom of the frame, giving up five runs on six hits as Lamar grabbed a 15-10 lead. WNCC kept the offensive attack going, coming right back in the seventh with four runs on three hits. Quintero and Jake Peltz each singled and Singh reached on an error to load the bases. Alambarry cleared the bases with one crack of the bat, delivering a grand slam to right field to bring the Cougars to within one, 15-14.

                Lamar added a single run in the seventh to go up 16-14, but WNCC wouldn’t fade away easily, making a run in the ninth.  Ramos started the inning with a double and after Alambarry walked to put the tying run on base, Lamar’s closer shut the door on any possible Cougar comeback.

                All nine Cougar batters collected at least one hit in the contest. Five Cougars finished with multiple hits, led by Alambarry with a 2-for-4 game, including a home run, five RBIs and three runs scored. The sophomore also had two walks.

                Sanford also had a big game, going 2-for-6 with a triple, double, four RBIs and a run scored. Also for the Cougars, Vore went 2-for-3 with a run scored, Quintero went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, and Ramos went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, a RBI and a double.

                WNCC’s Terry McNabb took the loss on the mound, going 1 1/3 innings in giving up five runs on six hits, while striking out one. Carlos Luzon started the contest, going two innings and giving up five runs on five hits. Jake Stutzman also threw 2 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on five hits, while striking out two. John Bravard finished off the contest, going two innings and giving up just one run on three hits.

                WNCC finished the season at 18-33. Jones said the guys can hold their heads high after the way they played this weekend.

                “The guys really represented Western Nebraska with a lot of pride,” he said. “They were not going to give in both games this weekend. They were down there to give it everything they had and they gave it everything they had. We came up a little bit short, but that is part of baseball. It is just how baseball can go sometimes. Sometimes the ball finds the hole and other times it doesn’t. It was a enjoyable two games. Of course we would have loved to win both of them. I definitely felt that if we would have, we would be on a really good run because we are playing our best baseball here towards the end.”

WNCC                   003 016 400 – 14 14 1

Lamar                    050 235 100 – 16 19 2

LP – Terry McNabb;  2B – Reimer Alambarry, Kevin Sanford, Jake Montoya, Benly Ramos; 3B – Sanford; HR -- Alambarry

WNCC softball wins Region IX championship

 

             LAMAR, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team made some history Sunday by capturing back-to-back Region IX championships and they did it with another sparkling pitching performance from Region IX player of the year Ashton Hughes.

            The sophomore hurler struck out 11 and tossed a 4-hitter in leading the Cougars to their third shutout of the tournament after topping Trinidad State Junior College 4-0 to earn a berth in the NJCAA national tournament in St. George, Utah, May 19-21.

            Hughes, who was named the Region IX player of the year, struck out 26 for the tournament and allowed just 12 hits in three games. She lowered her ERA from just above 2.00 to 1.13 on the season after the weekend tournament.

            The 20th-ranked Cougars also dominated the other Region IX awards that were announced after the tourney with Jocelyn Stubbs being named the Freshman of the Year, Maria Winn-Ratliff collecting the Coach of the Year honor, and the Cougar team capturing the Sportsmanship award.

            Winn-Ratliff said she was proud of the way her team played in the tournament in not only collecting the schools third regional title in four years, but also becoming only the second team in school history to win over 50 games.

            “We made some defensive mistakes, but we never allowed it to affect us,” she said. “I told them a quote that said errors are like scars; they remind us where we have been but they won’t dictate where we are going to go. I am just super proud of this team. They work extremely hard every day. It has been a unique year for us. They tell me they are going to be the first team to win a ball game in St. George, so I sure hope they can prove themselves."

            What stood out about the Cougars' three wins at the regional tournament was that they didn't allow one opponent to cross home plate. Offensively, they got the runs when they needed. They scored just eight runs in the three games including collecting 21 hits.

            "I thought Ashton was phenomenal in the circle. Runners got in scoring position and she found ways to get out of the inning," Winn-Ratliff said. "It did take us a little while to get going. I thought in the three games that we played the other teams did a good job of containing us, but hitting is contagious and it has been this way all year for us. I knew if we could get someone on, get some momentum, we would be OK."

            The championship contest was another pitcher's duel early on between Hughes and Trinidad's Lauren Usry. Usry, in fact, was dominating the Cougar hitters, striking out 11 of the first 12 hitters. Hughes was also on fire, facing just 26 batters in the seven innings of work. Hughes also allowed just two Trojan runners to touch second base, which is a credit to her defense.

            After a scoreless three innings, WNCC finally cranked up the offense in the fourth inning, scoring four times on three hits. Megan Bourdon started things with a 1-out double. Sarah Hawryluk and Jacqui Cappuccilli then each free passes to load the bases. Jordan Schoepflin followed with a run-scoring single to left field followed by a 2-run scoring double by Stubbs for a 3-0 lead.

            The Cougars added a single run in the fifth as Allie Alverson singled and scored on a Bourdon base hit for the 4-0 lead.

            A big momentum changer in the game came in the sixth inning as Cappuccilli snared a line drive and doubled up a Trinidad runner to stop a potential rally. After the double play, Trinidad's Jacqueline Booz ripped a double. After that, the next batter hit a deep fly ball to centerfield that Sarah Hawryluk hauled in to end the threat.

            Stubbs, who was also a first-team all-Region IX selection at catcher, said, their defense played well.

            "We played really well especially," the freshman from Roosevelt, Utah, said. "Defensively we did very well, but offensively we could have done better. Not allowing a run is what we wanted and a lot of the credit goes to our pitching staff. Ashton worked really hard in the circle."

            Hughes said this team can be excited to capture back-to-back regional titles in the defensive manner that they did.

            "We are definitely a proud group right know," she said. "This is what we wanted and what we were shooting for. This was our goal. Winning regionals is definitely is a good feeling and I didn’t expect anything else of our team."

            WNCC had an opportunity to score a lot more runs in the contest, but left six runners stranded in scoring position. Winn-Ratliff said this team has opened up offensively late all season; it is something they like to do.

            "Their philosophy is they want to make sure everyone gets their monies worth," the Region IX coach of the year said. "They think they get more at bats and get more opportunities. But, I just am proud of them. They played hard all weekend. They have never played in this type of heat [mid 90s on Sunday] because we didn’t take our Spring break trip. Hopefully, this is good preparation for us going down to the desert."

            The Cougars finished the contest with 10 hits. Bourdon led the way with a 3-for-3 game with two doubles, a run scored, a RBI and a walk. Hawryluk also finished with two hits, going 2-for-3 with a run scored. Stubbs had the only other extra base hit for WNCC with her double in the fourth inning.

            Hughes said they will need to play just as tough, if not better, when they go to national tournament in two weeks.

            "We definitely have to go out and hit the ball play like we did this weekend and play good defense," she said. "We were slow to start on offense [in the tournament] but hitting is contagious so once one of got a hit, others followed. Our defense was also solid in the tournament."

            As for the individual honors Hughes, Stubbs and the coach were surprised that they received all the regional honors.

            "I was a little bit surprised," Stubbs said of the honor. "That is what I was striving for and proud I got it. But, I was a little surprised, though, because there are a lot of good freshmen in the region."

            Hughes was also taken back about being selected as the player of the year, an award that WNCC has won the last three years.

            " I was surprised," The pitcher who needs 24 strikeouts to set a new season pitching strike out record, said. "I just go out there every day and try to do my best on the mound. I guess it worked."

            Winn-Ratliff said she can't believe they won that many awards.

            "We are tickled about the player and freshman year of the year award and I never thought we would get the sportsmanship award," Winn-Ratliff said. "Winnng any awards is a blessing and it is an attribute to those young ladies working hard every single day, doing the things that we ask them to do, and never giving up and believing in us. I would say we do things a little different than other programs and they bought into it and it has worked out for us. We are extremely happy."

Championship Game

Trinidad           000 000 0 -- 0 4 0

WNCC (51-13) 000 031 x -- 4 10 1

WP -- Ashton Hughes; 2B -- Jocelyn Stubbs, Megan Bourdon 2.

WNCC baseball team falls 8-6 in game one of regional playoffs against Lamar

                 Lamar, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team dropped a heartbreaking contest to Lamar Community College 8-6 in the first game of the Region IX playoffs Saturday in Lamar, Colo.

                The Cougars held a 6-5 lead heading into the ninth inning only to watch the Lopes score three times in the final inning, including a walk-off 2-run home run.

The Cougars will need to win twice on Sunday to advance into the Region IX championship series.

WNCC coach Mike Jones said it was a tough game to lose, but he was proud of how his team played.

“We played really well. It is not very fun to come out of there with a loss,” he said. “We played extremely well today. [Carlos] Palomo pitched a really good game and Jeff Schmitt was very good out of the bullpen. We found ways to score some runs. Camilo hits a home run to put us on the board early. We played really good defense. Unfortunately, Lamar was able to get to us in the ninth inning.”

                WNCC played well for the majority of the contest. The Cougars opened up the scoring on the fourth as Camilo Baldelomar unleashed a home run to right field for 1-0 lead. Lamar came right back to grab a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth on three hits and a costly throwing error.

                The Cougars kept battling, tying the game at 4-4 in the fifth. WNCC loaded the bases as Reimer Alamberry reached on a fielder’s choice and then Baldelomar and Kevin Sanford earned walks with just one out. Jake Montoya came through with a single down the left field line that scored two runners and then a third coming in on an overthrow into the Lamar dugout.

                WNCC took the lead with two more runs in the sixth. Nelson Quintero walked followed Paul Singh singling on a muscle hit to right field that scored Quintero. Singh came in to score on a throwing error.

                The lead didn’t last as Lamar got a solo home run in the sixth to cut the lead to 6-5 before the game winning shot in the ninth.

                WNCC pounded out eight hits in the contest and sent Lamar’s No. 1 pitcher to the showers after six innings. Alliance’s Jake Peltz paced the team with a 3-for-5 game, followed by Montoya going 2-for-3. Baldelomar went 1-for-4 with two runs scores and a RBI. Montoya had two RBIs, two walks and a double.

                Gering’s Carlos Palomo started the game and went six strong innings despite scattering six hits and giving up five runs. Palomo struck out six in the 26 batters he finished. Jeff Schmitt picked up the loss, going  2 1/3 innings. Schmitt allowed three runs on two hits and one walk. The Cheyenne, Wyo., native also struck out four.

Jones said that that way his team battled back is the sign of a good ball club.

                “There is no doubt that we have been looking forward to the playoffs for a while now,” he said. “There was a question there if we would make the playoffs. But, I think we are a team that plays better when something is on the line, and we will see how we bounce back and play tomorrow.”

WNCC                   000 132 000 – 6 8 2

Lamar                    000 401 003 – 8 8 3

LP – Jeff Schmitt; 2B – Jake Montoya; HR – Camilo Baldelomar.