Monday, April 30, 2012

WNCC baeball drops doubleheader to Lamar on April 21


                The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team just can't find a break in ending their 15 game losing streak after dropping a doubleheader to Lamar Community College Saturday afternoon at Cleveland Field.
                It appeared for the majority of the first game, the Cougars might just find the win column after grabbing an early 3-0 lead, but the Runnin' Lopes scored six late-inning runs to capture the first game of the Empire Conference contest 6-3.
                The second game saw Lamar's Mark Hendrick tossed a 2-hitter in earning the 6-0 shut-out win. Lamar's two victories catapults the Lopes to the top spot in the conference race with a 20-5 mark after NJC split with Otero Junior College Saturday. The Plainsmen won the first game 3-1 before falling 4-3 in the second game. NJC iw 20-6 in conference play.
                The losses for WNCC still keep the Cougars in the hunt for the fourth playoff spot, but they need to get on a winning streak. The Cougars are currently 6-16 in conference and trail Trinidad State for the fourth and final spot. Trinidad is 9-14.
                WNCC and Lamar will be back in action Sunday afternoon for another doubleheader at Cleveland Field. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
                 In Saturday's contests, the Cougars started the contest off on fire, scoring three first inning runs to grab a 3-0 lead.
                Andy Padron led off by drawing a walk followed by Max Brennen getting s single. Padron came in to score on an errand throw on a dropped third-strike to put Vore safely at first. Brennen later scored on a groundout followed by Vore scoring on a groundout for the 3-0 lead.
                Lamar didn't crack the scoreboard until the fourth inning when they scored two runs with two outs to cut the deficit to 3-2. Lamar took the lead in the fifth on lead-off, back-to-back, second-pitch hitting home runs by Garrett Yost and Jackson Gooch. Both dingers went to rightfield.
                Lamar added single runs in the sixth and seventh inning to go up 6-3.
                Lamar's David Leblanc, despite giving up three runs, tossed a one-hitter in the win. LeBlanc struck out seven and walked two to get the win.
                Terry McNabb took the hard-luck loss on the mound. McNabb, the sophomore from Davidson, Saskatchewan, went six innings in giving up 13 hits, five runs and striking out eight. Chalis Wright pitched one inning in the contest, giving up three hits and one run.
                The Cougars only hit was the single by Brennen in the first inning.
                The second game saw the Cougars manage two hits, but Lamar scratched across six runs on nine hits for the win. Lamar's Lead-off hitter Olivier-Dostaler was the scored three times in the contest on 3-for-4 from the plate. Jackson Gooch also had three hits for the Lopes, going 3-for-3 with two doubles. In fact, Lamars scoring came from the team's first four batters.
                WNCC's two hits came in the bottom of the third on a 2-out single by Ernesto Punales. The other hit came in the seventh inning with a single by Vore.
                 Hendrick earned the win on the mound, going all seven innings while striking out five. WNCC also had good pitching as Brett McPhail suffered the loss in going five innings while allowing nine hits, six runs and striking out six. Chris Nadon of Cheyenne, Wyo., tossed the final two innings in allowing no hits and striking out one.
               
First Game
Lamar                    000 221 1 -- 6 16 4
WNCC                   300 000 0 -- 3 1 1
WP -- David LeBlanc, LP -- Terry McNabb; 2B -- Lamar (Pier Olivier-Dostaler, Vincenzo Fresquez, Drew Merten); HR -- Lamar (Garrett Yost, Jackson Gooch).

Second Game
Lamar                    102 030 0 -- 6 9 0
WNCC                   000 000 0 -- 0 2 1
WP -- Mark Hendrick, LP -- Brett McPhail; 2B -- Lamar (Gooch 2, Mitch Robinson).

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