WNCC softball drops three one-run games in tournament

               COLUMBUS -- The Western Nebraska Community College softball team suffered three heart-breaking losses in the second day of the CCC-Columbus tournament on Saturday in Columbus.

               The Cougars opened with a 2-1 loss to Indian Hills Community College, before falling to Southwestern (Iowa) Community College 7-6 in nine innings and then Iowa Western Community College 2-1.

               The Cougars easily could have had three wins on the day. The Southwestern Iowa contest was the thriller as WNCC scored first with two runs in the second on run-scoring singles by Gabi Palacios and Sarah Hawryluk. SWCC came back with three in the third to take a 3-2 lead only to watch the Cougars score twice in the fourth, and then get single runs in the fifth and sixth for a 6-3 lead.

               SWCC came back with three in the bottom of the seventh on four hits to force extra innings. SWCC then scored a single run in the ninth to get the win.

               WNCC pounded out 11 hits in the contest as Hawryluk went 3-for-5 with three singles and three stolen bases. BIanca Duran and Palacios each went 2-for-3, while Kimmie Widick had two runs scored.

               The Cougars also suffered the other two losses with some costly errors. Against Indian Hills, WNCC scored first with a single run in the fifth as Danielle Hearn walked and scored on a Kasey Cash single. IHCC came back to score two runs in the sixth to get the win.

               WNCC managed just three hits, while Bianca Duran gave up just four innings in six innings of work. The only extra base hit for the Cougars came from the bat of Bree Bitton.

               The Iowa Western contest was also a tight contest. The Reivers opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning. After that, Cougar pitcher Amanda Jones blanked the Reivers. WNCC, however, could only managed just one run in the game coming in the third inning. Hearn started with a double and scored on a Cash single.

               Both teams had six hits in the contest. Mariah Shepherd was the only Cougar with more than one hit, going 2-for-3 with two singles. Hearn had the only extra base hit with a double.

               WNCC finished the tournament with an 1-4 mark as they return home to face McCook Community College in a Region IX conference game on Tuesday beginning at 2 p.m.

Game One

WNCC                  000 010 0 -- 1 3 3

Indian Hills          000 002 x -- 2 4 0

LP -- Bianca Duran; 2B -- Bree Bitton.

Game Two

WNCC                  020 211 000 -- 6 11 2

SWCC                   003 000 301 -- 7 14 1

LP -- Duran; 2B -- Gabi Palacios.

Game Three

WNCC                  001 000 0 -- 1 6 1

IWCC                    200 000 x -- 2 6 1

LP -- Amanda Jones; 2B -- Danielle Hearn.