Kasey
Cash smashed two home runs and the Western Nebraska Community College softball
team extended its winning streak to 13 games after dropping Garden City
Community College in a doubleheader on Sunday at Volunteer Field.
The
Cougars scored six runs in the third inning to scurry past the Broncbusters 7-2
in the first game. The second contest saw the Cougars battle back from a 4-0
deficit to sting the Broncbusters 5-4 and gave the six sophomores a thrilling
win in their final game at home.
"I
think this weekend we played really well. We finally came together as a team,
pushed through and got some great hits at the right time, and our defense was
strong and we did what we had to do to pull out a couple wins," Sarah
Hawryluk, the sophomore from Spruce Grove, Alberta, said. "Strategically,
in the second game, we strung out hits together and got the right hits at the
right time to score some runs."
More
importantly, Hawryluk said it was nice that the her and the other five
sophomores -- Amanda Jones, Jocelyn Stubbs, Aria Agle, Mariah Faifer and Bree
Bitton -- played their last games at Volunteer Field with four wins this
weekend.
"It
feels really good to finish off with four wins," she said. "We know
that we are a really strong program and it is nice to know, not only these last
four games, but we will remember the wins through the entire season. it was
nice to end the regular season playing as a team and knowing that the tradition
of the program is playing as a team."
WNCC,
who improved to 42-24 on the season, will enter this weekend's Region IX
tournament in La Junta, Colo., on a positive side. Hawryluk said they need to
play to their level as they try to win their third straight Region IX title.
"We
just have to play our game," she said. "Sometimes when we play a team
that is not strong, we tend to play at their level but I think if we played
like we did this weekend and string hits together, we should be where we need
to be."
The
Cougars fought back from deficits in both contests. In the first game, Emily
Hurlbert led off the inning with a solo home run. WNCC came back to score six
runs in the third inning with two outs. Gabi Palacios started things with a
double that hit the top of the fence. Hawryluk followed with a single and then
Danielle Hearn walked to load the bases.
With
two outs, Jocelyn Stubbs came through with a towering double to score all three
runs. Mariah Shepherd then smashed a double to score Stubbs. Cash closed out
the scoring with a 2-run home run to left field for the 6-1 lead.
Garden City
scratched across another run in the fourth to trail 6-2. WNCC followed that
with a single run of their own in the sixth as Hawryluk singled to score Aria
Agle.
WNCC
outhit Garden City 9-6. Hawryluk and Palacios each contributed two hits each.
Stubbs added three RBIs in her 1-for-2 game, while Cash had two RBIs.
Bianca
Duran picked up the win in the circle, going seven innings in scattering six
hits and giving up two runs. Duran, from Westminster, Colo., struck out six.
Garden
City jumped all over the Cougars in game two, scoring three runs in the first
inning before adding a single run in the second inning for a 4-0 lead. WNCC
fought back to knot the score at 4-4 with two runs each in the second and third
inning.
Shepherd
and Cash had the one-two punch in the second. Shepherd led off with a double
and then Cash delivered a line-drive home run over centerfield to cut the lead
in half at 4-2.
WNCC
tied the game in the next inning as Hawryluk singled and scored on a Duran
single to centerfield. Duran came around to score the tying run on a Cash
single.
WNCC
took the lead in the fifth as Hawryluk led off with a single and scored on a
Duran double.
Hawryluk,
Duran and Cash each contributed two hits in the win. Hawryluk went 2-for-2 with
two runs scored and had two stolen bases, while Duran was 2-for-3 with two
RBIs, a double and a run scored. Cash went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run
scored.
Amanda
Jones captured her eighth win in a row in the circle with a gutsy performance.
The sophomore from Las Vegas, Nev., went seven innings, scattering eight hits
and giving up four runs. Jones also struck out two and walked just one.
WNCC
will open the Region IX tournament on Friday at 6 p.m. The No. 1 seeded Cougars
open against the winner of No. 4 Lamar Community College and No. 5 McCook
Community College.
First Game
Garden City 010
100 0 -- 2 6 1
WNCC 006
001 x -- 7 9 0
WP -- Bianca Duran; 2B -- Jocelyn Stubbs, Mariah Shepherd,
Gabi Palacios; HR -- Kasey Cash.
Second Game
Garden City 310
000 0 -- 4 8 2
WNCC (42-24) 022 010
x -- 5 8 5
WP -- Amanda Jones; 2B -- Duran, Shepherd; HR -- Cash.
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