[March 28] The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team’s late-inning heroics were for naught as the Northeastern Junior College’s Danny Westerburg’s 2-out 2-run home run in the ninth inning propelled the Plainsmen to a 10-9 Empire Conference win Wednesday at Cleveland Field.
The contest was an offensive show as the two teams combined on five home runs and 22 hits.
“We made a run and it was a really good ball game,” WNCC coach Mike Jones said. “We went to the bullpen and [Brett] McPhail stopped them, gave us an opportunity to start scoring some runs, and that is what we did. We just scored one run at a time and then [Benly] Ramos hits the home run to get us right back in the ball game.
Jones said the key for the comeback was the players were patient at the plate, looking for the right pitch to hit.
“A nine-inning ball game is so much different than a seven-inning game because you are going to get into their bullpen,” he said. “We got to their bullpen and the guys did a nice job of staying patient and looking for a good pitch to hit. And, when it [the pitch] came to us, we did a nice job of jumping on it. That is what we talk about. That is what we preach, and they did a nice job of executing.” The Cougars comeback was something special considering WNCC spotted NJC five runs in the first inning. The big hit for the Plainsmen in the opening inning came from the bat of Dakota Holcomb, who blasted a 3-run home run.
The Cougars, in the early innings, had runners on base but just couldn’t get a big base hit to score the runs. The first inning was typical of the Cougars offensive woes after they loaded the bases with three straight walks. WNCC then scored just one run off a sacrifice fly before leaving the bases juiced.
NJC pushed the lead to 7-1 with single runs in the third and sixth inning. That was when the Cougars comeback started, scoring three times in the sixth to start the rally.
It all started with back-to-back singles by Pep Gonzalez and Keeton Krause. Trevor Kriesel and Benly Ramos each had run-scoring singles, and Nick Vanthillo had a run-scoring sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 7-4.
WNCC sliced the lead to 8-5 in the seventh as Gonzalez rocketed a pitch over the left field fence to bring the Cougars even closer.
The Cougars finally took their first lead of the game with four runs on three hits in the eighth inning. Kriesel started things after reaching base after being plunked by a pitch. Vanthillo followed with a single and the Ramos smashed a 3-run home run over left field to tie the game at 8-8.
WNCC wasn’t through as Josh Bride worked the NJC pitcher Jimi King for a walk. NJC then made a pitching change to Derek Neeper and Max Brennen fought off pitch after pitch before slapping a single to right field to score Bride with the go-ahead run.
Brennen then stole second and third and was primed to score an insurance run, but Neeper struck out two Cougars and then got the third out on an infield fly ball to stop any more damage.
NJC won the contest in the top of the ninth. Holcomb received a lead-off walk and then after two outs, Westerburg hammered the 2-run home run to put the Plainsmen back on top.
WNCC used three pitchers in the contest. Zak Porter started the contest and went two innings, giving up five runs on five hits and walking two. Brett McPhail followed with 5 2/3 innings of work and shut down the Plainsmen, allowing three runs on three hits. Grant Rimington then was the hard-luck losing pitcher, tossing the final 1 1/3 in allowing two runs and two hits.
Offensively, the Cougars had 11 hits. Ramos, Vanthillo, and Gonzalez each had two hits. Ramos went 2-for-4 with four RBIs and a home run, while Vanthillo was 2-for-2 with a RBI and a sacrifice. Gonzalez also went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs scored and a home run.
What impressed Jones a lot was how several players came up with big at bats late in the game to give the Cougars the lead.
“We had so many guys with so many clutch hits which I can’t name them all,” he said. “We had guys with some really big at bats and important opportunities. That is what it is all about and for sure we are getting better.”
WNCC, 11-19, will be back in action this weekend when they travel to take on Trinidad State Junior College on Saturday and Sunday in Empire Conference doubleheaders.
“We now have to go to Trinidad and a game like this could be a positive or it could be a negative,” Jones said. “It depends how you handle it as a team. It is all about understanding that when you get down early, it doesn’t mean the game is over. To me it is an opportunity to learn and get better.”
NJC 501 001 102 – 10 11 1
WNCC 100 003 140 – 9 11 2
WP – Derek Neeper, LP – Grant Rimington; 2B NJC (Josh Montano); HR – WNCC (Benly Ramos, Pep Gonzalez), NJC (Dakota Holcomb, Ben Netzel, Danny Westerburg).
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