MCCOOK
-- The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team came within inches if
snapping its losing skid, but McCook Community College received a 12th inning
home run to drop the Cougars 4-3 on Wednesday in an Empire Conference game.
The
loss drops the Cougars to 11-29 on the season and pushes the losing streak to
12 games.
Wednesday's
game was a contest that either team could have won. In fact, the Cougars had
the upper hand for most of the contest except for the two runs they allowed in
the seventh and 12th innings.
WNCC
scored first with a single run in the fifth. Andy Padron started the inning
with a lead-off walk. Padron later scored on a Tyler Weins single to right
field for the 1-0 lead.
The
lead stayed that way until the seventh when McCook plated two runs on three
hits for the 2-1 lead. McCook's rally started with a double by Matt Trujillo who
then scored on a single by Brodyy Hilgenkamp. McCook went ahead two batters
later on a 2-out single by Grant Hindman.
The
Cougars came back to tie the game in the ninth and even had a chance to take
the lead. Benly Ramos started the inning off with a single. After a fielder's
choice ground out, Keeton Krause reached on an error to put two players on.
A
couple errors later, Pep Gonzales scored the tying run on an error by the
catcher. Krause advanced to third on the same error. A couple pitches later,
Krause was nailed at the plate for the third out.
Both
teams had one hit in the 10th innings. WNCC's hit came from Max Brennen with
two outs but nothing came from the hit.
WNCC
had a prime scoring opportunity in the 11th as Oscar Familia had a lead-off
single. But, after a sacrifice and a grounder, Familia was stranded at third.
The
Cougars manufactured the go ahead run in the 12th. Andy Padron walked. After a
sacrifice bunt and a ground out, Padron scored on a wild pitch to put the
Cougars up 3-2.
WNCC,
however, couldn't hold the lead in McCook's at bat. Hindman started the McCook rally
with a one-out triple. Garrett Blair ended the game with one swing of the bat as
he took the second pitch from Brent McPhail and delivered the ball over the
leftfield fence for a walk-off 2-run home run.
The
Cougars finished with just five hits and no Cougar had more than a single.
Brennen also had a hit and two stolen bases to lead the bases.
McPhail
suffered the loss on the mound, going 2 1/3 innings while allowing three hits
and striking out won. Trevor Kriesel started the game and went five strong
innings, while striking out four. Jeff Schmitt, Terry McNabb, Gianfranco Bernal
and Nick Hernandez all got one inning of work.
WNCC
will look to break its 12-game this weekend in a crucial 4-game home stand
against Otero Junior College on Saturday and Sunday. First pitch at Cleveland
Field both days is set for 1 p.m. Otero dropped a doubleheader Wednesday to
Lamar Community College 13-3 and 11-0. Otero is sitting in third at 11-10 in
conference play while WNCC is 11-13 and in fifth place. Only the top four teams
make the regional playoffs in May.
WNCC 000
010 001 001 -- 3 5 3
McCook 000
000 200 002 -- 4 10 4
LP -- Brent McPhail.
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