[March 25] The Western Nebraska Community College softball team received two strong pitching performances and its offense came alive in registering a doubleheader sweep over Lamar Community College on Sunday at Volunteer Field.
The Cougars received two doubles from Bree Bitton in the first game as WNCC registered the 4-2 win. The second contest saw WNCC score seven, sixth-inning runs to come-from-behind with a 9-3 win over the Lopes.
Bitton said it took the team a little while to get uncorked, but once the offense finds its groove, they can score runs.
“I think in the beginning we came out a little flat and as the game went along, we got a little excited, getting more hits, and we started piecing things together,” she said. “We acted like we wanted to play more.”
Lamar led the second game 3-0 and the Cougars were stranding base runners left and right. It wasn’t until the fifth when the Cougars broke the scoring drought. Kasey Cash, the freshman from Wellington, Colo., got the offense started in a big way, lifting a 2-run home run over left field to bring the Cougars to within 3-2.
WNCC opened the game in the sixth inning with seven runs on four hits. WNCC worked the bases loaded and scored its first run on a fielder’s choice hit by Danielle Hearn. Bianca Duran then changed the outlook of the game with one swing of the bat, swatting a 3-run home run for a 6-3 lead.
The Cougars weren’t through as Cash and Aria Agle had back-to-back 2-out singles and then Bitton unloaded on a run-scoring double for the 9-3 lead.
Bitton said that this team is finding its groove offensively after a Spring Break trip that saw the offense practically non-existent.
“Coach Winn has us working different in practices where we are doing more approaches and we are starting to get the mental aspect of hitting down,” she said. “We are working on counts more with runners on and I think putting those things in perspective has helped us a lot.”
More importantly, Bitton said that players feed off each other’s hits.
“I think we feed off each other a lot. When Kasey gets a home run, we all get excited,” she said. “That is one of the things I like about this team is that we are very supportive of each other. If someone gets a hit, we are like now you can get a hit. We want each other to do well and we feed off of that.”
WNCC collected 11 hits in the second game with Cash leading the way with a 3-for-4 game. Cash had a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs. Also collecting multiple hits were Sarah Hawryluk, Agle, and Bitton. Duran went 1-for-1 with three walks, but had the big home run for her three RBIs. Hawryluk also stole three bases.
Jones put together another superb performance in the circle. The sophomore from Las Vegas went seven innings in scattering eight hits, allowing three runs and striking out three.
The Cougars also received a strong pitching performance from Duran in the opening game, where the freshman from Westminster, Colo., allowed eight hits on two runs while striking out six.
Offensively, the Cougars finished with eight hits and scored runs when they needed. WNCC opened the contest with two runs in the second as Jocelyn Stubbs started things with a double followed by Cash working for a walk. Both scored on a Bitton double for the quick 20-0 lead.
Lamar sliced the lead to 2-1 in the third, but WNCC added insurance two insurance runs in the sixth as Bitton started the rally with a double followed by Mariah Faifer earning a walk and then Hawryluk getting a single for the 4-1 lead.
The sweep keeps the Cougars in the hunt for one of the top two seeds at the regional tournament in May. WNCC is now 9-3 in conference play while Otero is 13-3 after splitting weekend series with WNCC on Saturday and McCook on Sunday.
Bitton said it is huge to get the sweep in key games like this.
“You never want to split with a team; you always want to sweep them especially at home,” she said. “We are going to Kansas for a tournament next weekend it this is a great win to come out with to go into next weekend with wins.”
WNCC 21-15, will be back in action Thursday when they travel to North Platte to take on North Platte Community College in a twinbill before competing in a tournament on Friday and Saturday in El Dorado, Kan.
Game 1
Lamar 001 000 1 – 2 8 2
WNCC 020 002 x – 4 8 3
WP – Bianca Duran; 2B – Bree Bitton 2, Jocelyn Stubbs.
Game 2
Lamar 210 000 0 – 3 3 1
WNCC 000 027 x – 9 11 1
WP – Amanda Jones; 2B – Bree Bitton; HR – Bianca Duran, Kasey Cash
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