Cash hits for the cycle, WNCC softball sweeps NJC

                 Kasey Cash hit her first-ever cycle and the No. 15-ranked Western Nebraska Community College softball team had totaled 31 hits in sweeping a conference doubleheader from Northeastern Junior College Wednesday afternoon at Volunteer Field.

                Cash had a single, two doubles, triple, a home run, four runs scored and five RBIs in the second game that saw the Cougars pull out a 15-11 win. In the opening game, the Cougars scored six, sixth-inning runs to prevail 6-2.

                Cash  finished the two games going 7 for 9, including five runs scored and six RBIs. Cash also picked up her 14th and 15th home runs of the season, which ties her for third in the nation.

                Cash said it felt good to hit for her first-ever cycle, and attributes that to just going up to the plate and making contact with the ball.

                "I had just came into the dugout after I just hit a single and I said all I need is a home run to get my cycle," she said. "But I couldn't go with the mindset at the plate like that. I pulled through and finished the cycle."

                Cash said they needed all the offense they could muster against a NJC team that is 2-13 overall and 1-5 in conference play.

                "At the beginning of both games, I think we struggled a little bit especially the beginning of the first one," Cash said. "We were kind of shaky but then we pulled it together and brought it together as a team and pulled out two wins."

                The second game, where the Cougars pounded out 19 hits and scored 15 runs, was a fight. NJC had a 3-1 lead after one inning and a 5-3 lead after two innings. A big key to the Cougars not scoring runs was leaving the bases loaded twice -- in the first inning and then once again in the sixth inning.

                The third inning was the difference in the contest as Cougars scored six times on seven hits. The Cougars started things with singles by Shelby McGraw, Lindsey Shiels=Brophy, Haley Paxton and Cash. Jennifer Cottle then unloaded the bases with a triple to put WNCC up 9-5.

                The Cougars added three more runs in the fourth and sixth inning. Cash had the big hit in the fourth-inning, taking the second pitch and placing it firmly beyond the right centerfield fence for a 3-run home run, her 15th of the season, and finishing off the cycle. Cash previously had a double in the first, a triple in the second, and a single in the third. She added a second double in the sixth with a lead-off two-bagger. WNCC followed suit with three runs to go up 15-8.

                Besides Cash's five-hit contest, Cottle went 4-for-5 with four RBIs. McGraw and Paxton were the only other players to collect more than one hit as each had two singles.

                Ravae Herrera picked up the win in going seven innings in allowing 11 runs on 11 hits. Herrera struck out five and walked eight.

                In the opener, Duran struck out four and scattered five hits while allowing two runs in leading the Cougars' defensively to the win.

                Offensively, the Cougars managed just 12 hits, including big hits from Shiels-Brophy, Hearn, and Paxton in the sixth inning.

                Before the sixth, the Cougars were baffled from NJC starting pitcher Margo Beaumont, who had a shutout through five innings with the Plainswomen leading 1-0. Cash changed the complexion of the game in the sixth as she took the first pitch and drove it over the right centerfield fence to knot the score. After that, WNCC kept the pressure on. Shiels-Brophy had a huge hit, a one-out single that scored two runs to put the Cougars ahead. Hearn and Paxton followed with back-to-back doubles.

                Hearn led the team with a 3-for-3 game, including a double, run scored and RBI. Cash, Paxton, and Angel Council each had two hits. Paxton was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, while Cash had a home run.

                WNCC, 26-7, will be back in action Friday when they host Lamar Community College in a conference doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at Volunteer Field. Cash said they have to be ready at the start to pick up two wins against Lamar.

                " We definitely will did to have a solid defense and a solid offense to beat Lamar," she said. "They will come out ready to beat us so I think we will want to come out stronger than they will and get two more wins. It has to start in the first inning."

First Game

NJC                        010 000 1 -- 2 5 0

WNCC                   000 006 x -- 6 12 0

WP -- Bianca Duran; 2B -- Danielle Hearn, Haley Paxton; HR -- Kasey Cash.

Second Game

NJC (2-13)           320 003 3 -- 11 11 3

WNCC (26-7)      126 303 x -- 15 19 2

WP -- Ravae Herrera; 2B -- Cash; 3B -- Cash, Jennifer Cottle; HR -- Cash.

WNCC baseball topd to Seminonole State

                [March 22, 2013] PHOENIX -- The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team scored 10 runs in the sixth and seventh inning to finish off their Spring Break trip with an 11-9 win over Seminole Community College on Friday.

                The Cougars pounded out 11 hits in the win, including home run by Ozzie Gonzalez and triple by JT Core.

                Friday's win was huge for confidence after the team fell to Seminole on Thursday 14-2.

                In Friday's win, the Cougars fell behind 6-1 after four innings before finding their offense. WNCC scored five runs in the sixth on just one hit. The Cougars also did most of the damage with two outs as the Seminole pitchers walked three, hit one batter, and the defense committed a huge error that resulted in five Cougar runs to tie the game at 6-6. The only hit was a 2-out single by Core.

                After Seminole went back in front 7-6 in the top of the seventh, WNCC went ahead for good in the bottom of the frame. with five runs on four hits. Gonzalez started the inning with a solo home run. Pablo Garcia and Keeton Krause then had back-to-back singles. WNCC then went to work with two outs, scoring four more runs.

                Things started as Anthony Delgado loaded the bases on an error. The Cougars scored another run a batter later after Pablo Garcia reached first on a dropped third strike. Core than tripled to score three runs for the 11-7 lead.

                Seminole scored single runs in the eighth and ninth innings, before Ernesto Punales got three flyouts to end the game.

                Core paced the Cougars with a 4-for-5 game with four RBIs, a double and a triple. Garcia also had multiple hits, with two singles.

                Jason Palser started the game and went three innings in giving up five runs on just one hit. Palser walked four and struck out four. Nick Vanthillo followed with five innings pitched to get the win. Vanthillo allowed three runs on four hits and struck out four. Punales picked up the save in allowing just one run on one hit.

                In Thursday's loss, the Cougars managed just three hits in the contest while Seminole finished with 14 runs on 15 hits.

                WNCC's only runs came in the third as Delgado and COre walked and scored on a Cameron Snyder triple.

                Snyder paced the Cougars with two of the three hits. Snyder had two RBIs and a triple. Alex Michaud had the other hit, a double.

                Felix Ojeda-Sanchez took the loss on the mound, going just two innings in allowing six runs on seven hits, while walking three and striking out two.

                WNCC (8-20) will return to action Tuesday when they travel to Sterling, Colo., to face Northeastern Junior College in a 9-inning Empire Conference contest.

Thursday's Game

Seminole             241 133 0 -- 14 15 0

WNCC                   002 000 0 -- 2 3 2

LP -- Fellx Ojeda-Sanchez; 2B -- Alex Michaud; 3B -- Cameron Snyder.

Friday's Game

Seminole             010 500 111 -- 9 6 2

WNCC                   001 005 50x --11 11 1

WP -- Nick Vanthillo, S -- Ernesto Punales; 2B -- Gabriel DeLa Rosa, JT Core; 3B -- Core; HR -- Ozzie Gonzalez.

WNCC baseball falls twice to Yavapai

               [March 20, 2013]  PRESCOTT, Ariz. -- The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team hung tough but it wasn't enough as the Cougars dropped a doubleheader to Yavapai College on Wednesday during their Spring Break trip.

                WNCC fell behind early and then came up short with a late-inning rally to fall 8-6 in game one. The second game saw WNCC give up nine runs in the third inning in falling 15-6. The Cougars will finish off the Spring Break trip with a contest against Seminole State Community College on Thursday.

                In the opener, WNCC pounded out nine hits, including two hits each from Cameron Snyder and Gabriel DeLa Rosa in the loss. Snyder finished the contest with two RBIs, a run scored and a triple. DeLa Rosa and Ozzie Gonzalez each had doubles in the contest.

                WNCC fell behind 4-0 before getting on the scoreboard with a single run in the fifth as DeLa Rosa doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by David Martinez.

                The Cougars trailed 6-1, before plating another three runs in the sixth on four hits, including a run-scoring double by Gonzalez, and singles by Snyder, Alex Michaud, and Ryan Bender.

                WNCC made a rally in the seventh, trailing 8-4, as Snyder smacked a one-out triple to left field, scoring Nick Vanthillo and Pablo Garcia.

                John Timmins picked up the loss, going five innings in surrendering six runs on 12 hits. Cedric Desmedt finished off the game, allowing two runs on two hits.

                The second game saw the Cougars collect seven hits. Snyder led the way with a 3-for-4 contest with two RBIs and a run scored. JT Core had the only extra base hit with a 2-run home run in the first inning.

                After WNCC led 2-0, Yavapai opened up the contest by scoring three times in the second and nine times in the third for a 12-2 lead. The Cougars came back and scored a single run in the fourth and two more in the fifth to cut the lead to 14-5.

                Kyle Shoutta took the loss on the mound, going two innings in allowing nine runs on seven hits. Keeton Krause finished off the game, tossing four innings in allowing six runs on six hits and walking five.

               

First Game

WNCC                   000 013 2 -- 6 9 2

Yavapai                 012 122 x -- 8 14 1

LP -- John Timmins; 2B -- Ozzie Gonzalez, Gabriel DeLa Rosa; 3B -- Cameron Snyder.

Second Game

WNCC                   200 120 1 -- 6 7 2

Tavapai                 039 210 x -- 15 13 0

LP -- Kyle Shoutta; HR -- JT Core.

WNCC softball sweeps North Platte

                 [March 20, 2013] Haley Paxton had two clutch doubles to help the 15th-ranked Western Nebraska Community College softball team sweep a doubleheader from North Platte Community College on Wednesday at Volunteer Field.

                In the first game, Paxton's double to lead off the seventh inning helped the Cougars register a 3-2 win. Paxton also had a double in the second game that helped open up a 2-2 game for the 11-2 win.

                The twinbill win was especially important for the Cougars as they split doubleheaders in their last three doubleheaders against Trinidad, Luna and Adam State Junior Varsity over the weekend.

                "We played a lot better in the second game than we did in the first," the sophomore from Greeley, Colo., said. "It was really nice to come together and get the wins before we go home for spring break."

                As for Paxton getting clutch hits, she didn't feel any pressure. She just went up relaxed and drove the pitch she liked to the gap.

                "Assistant coach Molly [Bonuchi] told me a couple innings earlier that it wouldn't hurt to go and swing a bat," she said. "Coach Winn then told me an inning before that I would hit for Maddy [Spencer]. I was just praying to God that I got a base hit. It worked."

                The two wins were also huge in the fact the Cougars, once again, flashed their offensive punch. The second game was when WNCC lit up offensively. The second game saw the Cougars pound out 11 hits and open up a 2-2 tie with a 9-run fourth inning.

                Paxton said this team has plenty of offensive punch.

                "The offense is pretty explosive. Once one of us catches it, everyone else just follows along," Paxton said. "That usually works out pretty well for us."

                That offensive punch started with Duran as she took the second pitch she saw and drove it over the center field fence. Cash then singles and scored on a Angel Council ground out for the 2-1 lead. North Platte tied the game in the third as Tiffany Brasby reached on an error and scored on a 2-out double by Morgan Booth.

                WNCC put the game away in the fourth with nine runs. Mariah Shepherd and Shelby McGraw started things with back-to-back singles. Weiss was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Paxton then came through with a double that nearly went out to score two runs and put WNCC up 4-2.

                WNCC wasn't finished as Duran was walked with four pitches intentionally out of the strike zone to reload the bases. Cash scored two with a double. Council then ripped a run-scoring single. Jennifer Cottle and Shepherd followed with back-to-back run-scoring doubles for the 11-2 lead.

                WNCC was paced by Cash and Shepherd with two hits each. Cash had a double, two runs scored and two RBIs, while Shepherd had a double, a RBI and a run scored. Council finished the game with three RBIs.

                McGraw picked up the win, going five innings in scattering five hits and giving up five hits. McGraw also struck out five.

                The first game was a defensive contest as runs were hard to come by. WNCC managed nine hits, but could only scratch across three runs. WNCC scored one in the first as Bianca Duran led off with a double and scored on a Kasey Cash single.

                North Platte came back to take the lead in the fifth on a 2-run home run by starting pitcher Ashley Campbell for a 2-1 lead. The lead, however didn't last long as Duran. Pinch runner Hailee Mecham then came around to score on a hit by Jennifer Cottle.

                WNCC won the game in the seventh as Paxton got on by a hit. Pinch runner Melanie Rowson then scored on the next play as Duran took the first pitch and delivered to centerfield for a double for the win.

                Duran paced the Cougars at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance from her lead-off spot. She also had a run scored, a RBI, and two doubles. Cottle also registered two hits with an RBI.

                Duran picked up the win in the circle, going seven innings while scattering five hits. Duran struck out six and walked one.

                WNCC (26-7) will be back in action Wednesday when they travel to face Northeastern Junior College in a conference doubleheader before returning home for a Good Friday conference game against Lamar Community College.

First Game

NPCC                     000 010 0 -- 2 5 2

WNCC                   100 010 1 -- 3 9 1

WP -- Bianca Duran, LP -- Ashley Campbell; 2B -- WNCC (Duran 2, Nicole Weiss; HR -- NPCC (Campbell).

Second Game

NPCC                     101 00 -- 2 5 0

WNCC                   200 9x -- 11 11 1

WP -- Shelby McGraw, LP -- Josilyn Richardson; 2B -- WNCC (Kasey Cash, Mariah Shepherd, Weiss, Haley Paxton), NPCC (Briona Santovito, Morgan Booth); HR -- WNCC (Duran).