Thursday, April 12, 2007
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Huntington, Merkey sign with WNCC women's soccer
Lara Merkey of 
eek.
Both players bring plenty of soccer experience to the Cougar soccer program, which went 6-8 last season in its first season back after being suspended for a season.
“It sounded like they have a good nursing program and will have a good soccer team. Also, my best friend [Kiwi Wiegert] plays there,” she said. “I am hoping to become a better keeper and have a fun ti
me as I get closer to my degree.”
Merkley also brings plenty of soccer talent to the team. Merkey, who also ran track and field at Windsor High, lettered four years in soccer and double lettered in both soccer and track for two seasons. Merkey, who is just 5-1 and plays defense, was also looking at the
“I really liked the coach and was offered a scholarship to play,” she said. “It will also get me to where eI want to be in two years.”
Merkey, who is planning on majoring in journalism, said one of the reasons she choice WNCC was because of the friendliness of all the people at WNCC.
“The campus is really nice and the gym is amazing,” she said. “The weight room is also very nice, and I also enjoyed looking at the future field I will be playing on.”
Merkey had many highlights during her playing days for
“I was also one of the captains this year and I will remember the girls I have played with,” she said. “Also, I remember being in the newspaper at least once every year for games against Greeley West.”
“I always loved to play field when our team would get up enough to let me out of goal,” she said. “We were playing a team that wasn’t good so I was able to play field and everyone always thought it was cool when I would get close to scoring because I was a keeper. Well, we had a penalty kick and I got to take it. As the referee sat the ball down, he put it in a hole. I didn’t know I could move it so I didn’t think much more about the ball, just where I was going to shoot it and how to play the little tricks on the keeper. Everyone was ready and as I go to kick it, I tripped on the ball and it didn’t go anywhere but a few inches.”
More women’s soccer signings will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
WNCC men take over top spot in region play
The
Sunday’s games in
WNCC rebounded by sweeping a doubleheader Monday 2-1 and 6-4 to jump into first place in the conference race. The Cougars now control their own destiny in the bid to win the conference and host the Region IX tournament in May.
WNCC coach Mike Jones couldn’t be prouder of his team’s effort in moving into first place in conference standings.
“It feels really good leading the region. We played the best two teams in the conference to this point and we are on top right now,” he said. “I feel it will be in our hands from here on out. We will have to continue to play good baseball and nobody will give it to us. It is out there for us to take and we will have to play ball.”
One off the keys for the Cougars to gain sweep on Monday was good pitching. They received that from Greg Crow and Todd Stachura, both freshman. WNCC claimed the first game behind a stellar pitching performance by Crowe, the right-handed flame-thrower from Parker,
“Going into this weekend, it was a pretty important series. We knew we had to get some good pitching. Greg Crowe came out and threw an outstanding game for us. He controlled their offense and shut them down and went the distance.
But, while Crowe was throwing a gem for the Cougars, NJC’s Ty Cardona was also causing havoc on the mound. Cardona allowed six hits while striking out three batters. The difference in the game was WNCC got clutch hits when needed to get the win.
“We got some really clutch hits. Carson Cook was clutch for us this whole weekend,” Jones said. “That is important. When you get guys on base, you have to find ways to get them in. We have been real good about that lately with a good offense that finds ways to score some runs.”
WNCC scored first as JayC Perez led off the second with a double. Three batters later, Chris Hook hit a ground ball that scored Perez with the first run of the game.
NJC tied the game in the fifth on a walk and a 2-oiut single by Mike Mendenhall. WNCC won the game in dramatic fashion in the sixth inning. With two outs, Richie Stewart hammered a double to right field. Stewart was the lifted for pinchrunner Alexis Gomez. After a walk to Perez, Carson Cook took the first pitch and lined it to the outfield to score Gomez with the go-ahead run.
Crowe then finished off the Plainsmen in the seventh inning with three gourndball outs and a double by Josh Warren.
Stewart paced the Cougars with two hits.
Stewart continued his torrid hitting in game two. The sophomore from
“That home run was really big for us. That put us up 3-0 and gave us a lot of momentum. Once we got that momentum, our team felt pretty confortable. They were able to come back and take the lead on us 4-3, but there was no panic in our dugout and on our team. We came right back out and put up three more runs.
In deed NJC came back scoring four times in the fourth inning on three hits and three walks. Most of the damage came with two outs as Warren hit a bases-loaded single to score two runs to give NJC a 4-3 lead.
The lead didn’t last long as WNCC came right back with a three spot in the bottom of the fourth. Gilbert Gonzalez started things with a single followed by a walk by Travis Lindhorst. Then, with two outs, Pedro Suarez delivered a 2-RBI single, followed by Stewart’s monster run-scoring double that put WNCC up 6-4.
Chris Cuadra then came in relief of winning pitcher Todd Stachura in the fifth inning and kept the Plainsmen at bay for two innings. Then, Dan Bauer closed the game picking up the save with quick work of NJC’s No. 3, 4 and 5 batters, including getting the final out on a slider that Danny Brock couldn’t hit for the final out.
WNCC managed 10 hits for the game. Stewart led the way with a 3-for-4 performance, including a double, home run, three RBIs and a run-scored. Suarez also collected two hits, including three RBIs and two runs scored.
In Sunday’s games, WNCC scored three times in the eight-inning to collect the win. Phillips Orta went six innings to get the no-decision while allowing four runs, seven strikeouts and four hits. Chris Cuadra earned the win by pitching the seventh, while Bauer picked up the save.
Suarez led the Cougars offensively with a 3-for-4 performance, including two doubles and a run scored. Perez and Cook each had two hits. Perez had a home run, two runs scored and a RBI, while Cook had a triple, two RBIs and two runs scored.
NJC scored three times each in the third and fifth inning to earn the 7-1 win in game two. Jeff McDonald picked up the loss on the mound going just four innings, while giving up five hits and striking out three.
Marco Moreno paced the Cougars with a 2-for-3 performance with an RBI in the third inning. The only other hits by the Cougars came from Suarez, Stewart and Gonzalez.
WNCC, now 14-16 overall and 9-3 in conference play, will return to action Thursday when they face Colby Community College before taking on McCook Community College Friday and Saturday in McCook.
WNCC softball sweeps Trinidad State
Pexton threw a stellar game in game two, holding the Trojan bats to just three runs on seven hits as the Cougars won the 11-3. In the opener, WNCC came back from a 7-4 deficit to defeat
“I think we played really good,” Pexton said. “We came together as a team at crucial times when we needed to and got two wins. This win will help get my confidence up and the girls really backed me up.”
Indeed the Cougars played well Monday, pounding out 27 hits in the doubleheader -- 11 in the first game and 14 in the second game. Pexton said this is a team that can hit throughout the lineup.
“Sometimes we have a struggle in an inning, but we came together and pulled out the win,” she said. “When we were down in the first game, we knew we had to just come back. We never die, never give in and we just kept coming back and hit the ball."
WNCC added an insurance run in the fifth inning as Kara Ryman unloaded on a pitch that hit the scoreboard for a home run.
In the meantime, Natasha Dypchey settled down in the final five innings holding the Trojans to just three hits to get the win. Hensley, Ryman and Ashley Eichelberger all finished with two hits for the Cougars. Hensley went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and a RBI, Ryman went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and a RBI, and Eichelberger was 2-for-4 with two singles, two runs scored and a RBI.
WNCC quickly took control in the second game, bolting to a 5-0 lead after one inning. Jessica Ventoza led things off with a triple followed by a double by Lauren Mills. WNCC’s six-hit first-inning attach continued as Amanda Torimaru had a two-out single followed by a 2-RBI double by Foster and a run-scoring single by Pexton for the 6-0 lead.
“This win will help get my confidence up,” Pexton said. “The girls really backed me up.”
The rest of the team really came forward after
Mills led the team with a 4-for-4 performance, including two doubles, three runs scored and an RBI. Eichelberger was also perfect in the game with three hits, including a triple, two runs scored and two RBIs. Hensley and Ventoza also collected multiple hits in the win.
Pexton said the second game win was crucial after dropping the second game to
“I think we stayed focused the entire way in the second game,” she said. “Sometimes we lose a little bit of focus but we kept it together this game.”
On Sunday, the Cougars split with
In the first-game win, WNCC scored single runs in the sixth and eighth innings. The Cougars tied the game in the sixth as Ventoza singled and scored on a Hensley single. In the eighth, Torimaru started things with a 2-out single and scored on a Mills single for the win.
Hensley, Eichelberger and Mills each collected two hits for the Cougars. Dypchey picked up the win, striking out six and scattering four hits in eight innings of work.
North Platte
Eichelberger paced the Cougars from the plate with a 3-for-4 performance followed by Jessie McNabb with a 2-for-4 performance and a run-scored.
WNCC, 21-12 on the season, will next be in action Friday when they travel to
Sunday, April 01, 2007
WNCC softball splits with North Platte
The WNCC women's softball team split with North Platte Community College Sunday on the road. The Cougars won the first game 2-1 as Natasha Dypchey picked up the win. WNCC couldn't keep the momentum going falling in the second game 4-2 as Dypchey took the loss.
The Cougars will return to action Monday when they host Trinidad State Junior College in a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. at Volunteer Field.
The Cougars will return to action Monday when they host Trinidad State Junior College in a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. at Volunteer Field.
Baseball games with NJC changed
If anyone is wondering there is no activity at Cleveland Field on Sunday, it is because the games were changed to Sterling, Colo., because of the recent snowfall. Northeastern Junior College and WNCC are in a battle for the Region IX lead and Sunday's games will be played in Sterling at 1 p.m.
The two teams will return to Cleveland Field on Monday at 1 p.m. for the second set of games in the four-game series where first place in the Empire Conference is on the line. Because of the switch, the two team's game on April 25 will be played in Scottsbluff.
The two teams will return to Cleveland Field on Monday at 1 p.m. for the second set of games in the four-game series where first place in the Empire Conference is on the line. Because of the switch, the two team's game on April 25 will be played in Scottsbluff.
Moreno's calm under pressure
Baseball has always been in Marco Moreno's blood after growing up as a youngster in Cuba and Miami. Now, as the starting shortstop on the Western Nebraska Community College baseball team, it's no different.But while baseball is what Moreno lives for, he also realizes that school work come first.
"I found out grades are very important," Moreno said. "If you don't study, then you won't get to play. I almost didn't get to play because of that. I won't ever forget that and it won't happen again."
Moreno is now fulfilling his baseball and educational aspirations as a collegiate player and he's thankful for the opportunities.
"My mentality was always baseball and having fun. I never paid too much attention to school and I always procrastinated on my homework or had someone do it for me. It was always like that. I always got by with just enough," Moreno said. "I am here now and I know everything happens for a reason. I just have to take advantage of the opportunity and see where it leads me."
Moreno is taking full advantage of his opportunity and WNCC coach Mike Jones is impressed by what his freshman middle infielder has accomplished so far this season.
"To have a freshman step in and play it as well as he has played it has been a real nice surprise" Jones said. "I saw him at a tryout in Miami when I was down there for a 3-day recruiting visit and was real impressed with his footwork and his hands as a defensive player. Offensively, he has been a nice surprise because he has really grown as a hitter."
Moreno said that being a freshman on a sophomore-dominated starting lineup hasn't been too nerve-wracking. In fact, he thrives on the pressure.
"As a freshman at the beginning, there was a lot of pressure," Moreno said. "But I have always been in pressure situations and I always like to put pressure on myself. I feel it makes me perform a little bit better."
So far this season, Moreno has sparkled. He is hitting over .250 for the season with seven extra-base hits. He also came up with a big triple in the team's four-game sweep at Otero Junior College last weekend.
"Coach Jones has told me over and over that I have improved a lot defensively and with my hitting," Moreno said. "But there is always room for more improvement. We need to keep working hard as a team and individually."
Moreno and the Cougars will get another stern test this weekend when they host Region IX leading Northeastern Junior College in a key four-game series. The winner of the region will host the Region IX Tournament in May.
"These games are extremely big because they are first in our conference right now at 7-1 and we are 6-2," Moreno said. "If we don't take conference this year, it means that we slacked off and we should have worked harder. With us taking three out of those four games, we would be in first place."
Moreno said that it's been the Cougars' goal from the start of the season to host the regional tournament.
"It would mean everything and it has been one of our main goals since the beginning of the year to host regionals," he said. "But we are just going to take it one game at a time. There is nothing else you can do. Whatever happened in the past, happened already, so you put that behind you and just keep going."
After starting the season slow, the Cougars have vaulted to an 11-15 record and Moreno said the team is ready to make some noise in the conference.
"We have improved a lot as a team and individually. Our attitudes have changed and we know we have what it takes to win," Moreno said. "We have the talent and we have the heart, the commitment, and determination to win. It all depends on us not getting lazy or getting over confident. We have a great team and it will be a shame if we don't make it as far as we know we can make it."
Moreno is living proof that you learn from past mistakes and keep improving. As a youngster living in Cuba until he was nine years old, he realized how important baseball and schooling was. In Cuba, he said, if you didn't want to go to school, you didn't have to. Boxing and baseball means everything to the people of Cuba.
"Baseball in Cuba is like life. In Cuba you either box or play baseball, it is one of the two," Moreno said. "Baseball is a lot more competitive." While in Cuba, Moreno never played organized baseball. Instead, he and others would play with tennis balls or anything they could round up to play pick-up games with. When he and his family finally moved to Florida when he was 9, his life changed in other ways than baseball.
"At first it was a big change. The language at first was a big obstacle and having to get used to going to another school where it was mandatory was hard," Moreno said. "In Cuba, it was more like where if you didn't want to go to school, you didn't have to. "But in Florida, I've improved a lot playing baseball. When I first got here, I hardly knew how to throw or hit. My dad worked with me a lot. We would go out and play after he got off of work and I improved the first couple of [years] I was there."
Moreno continued to play baseball through high school while attending South Miami Senior High School where he earned second team all-Dade County MVP honors. He hopes someday to be taking his baseball talents to the next level. But for now, he is happy to learn more about the game at WNCC while getting an education.
"Like everybody else, I'd like to make it to the pros. That is what I am going to push for and if not I will get an education and stay close to baseball or sports or anything along that line," he said. "But it takes a lot of hard work [to get to the majors] and a lot of getting noticed But if others can do it, it gives everyone else a dream that we can do it, too."
"I found out grades are very important," Moreno said. "If you don't study, then you won't get to play. I almost didn't get to play because of that. I won't ever forget that and it won't happen again."
Moreno is now fulfilling his baseball and educational aspirations as a collegiate player and he's thankful for the opportunities.
"My mentality was always baseball and having fun. I never paid too much attention to school and I always procrastinated on my homework or had someone do it for me. It was always like that. I always got by with just enough," Moreno said. "I am here now and I know everything happens for a reason. I just have to take advantage of the opportunity and see where it leads me."
Moreno is taking full advantage of his opportunity and WNCC coach Mike Jones is impressed by what his freshman middle infielder has accomplished so far this season.
"To have a freshman step in and play it as well as he has played it has been a real nice surprise" Jones said. "I saw him at a tryout in Miami when I was down there for a 3-day recruiting visit and was real impressed with his footwork and his hands as a defensive player. Offensively, he has been a nice surprise because he has really grown as a hitter."
Moreno said that being a freshman on a sophomore-dominated starting lineup hasn't been too nerve-wracking. In fact, he thrives on the pressure.
"As a freshman at the beginning, there was a lot of pressure," Moreno said. "But I have always been in pressure situations and I always like to put pressure on myself. I feel it makes me perform a little bit better."
So far this season, Moreno has sparkled. He is hitting over .250 for the season with seven extra-base hits. He also came up with a big triple in the team's four-game sweep at Otero Junior College last weekend.
"Coach Jones has told me over and over that I have improved a lot defensively and with my hitting," Moreno said. "But there is always room for more improvement. We need to keep working hard as a team and individually."
Moreno and the Cougars will get another stern test this weekend when they host Region IX leading Northeastern Junior College in a key four-game series. The winner of the region will host the Region IX Tournament in May.
"These games are extremely big because they are first in our conference right now at 7-1 and we are 6-2," Moreno said. "If we don't take conference this year, it means that we slacked off and we should have worked harder. With us taking three out of those four games, we would be in first place."
Moreno said that it's been the Cougars' goal from the start of the season to host the regional tournament.
"It would mean everything and it has been one of our main goals since the beginning of the year to host regionals," he said. "But we are just going to take it one game at a time. There is nothing else you can do. Whatever happened in the past, happened already, so you put that behind you and just keep going."
After starting the season slow, the Cougars have vaulted to an 11-15 record and Moreno said the team is ready to make some noise in the conference.
"We have improved a lot as a team and individually. Our attitudes have changed and we know we have what it takes to win," Moreno said. "We have the talent and we have the heart, the commitment, and determination to win. It all depends on us not getting lazy or getting over confident. We have a great team and it will be a shame if we don't make it as far as we know we can make it."
Moreno is living proof that you learn from past mistakes and keep improving. As a youngster living in Cuba until he was nine years old, he realized how important baseball and schooling was. In Cuba, he said, if you didn't want to go to school, you didn't have to. Boxing and baseball means everything to the people of Cuba.
"Baseball in Cuba is like life. In Cuba you either box or play baseball, it is one of the two," Moreno said. "Baseball is a lot more competitive." While in Cuba, Moreno never played organized baseball. Instead, he and others would play with tennis balls or anything they could round up to play pick-up games with. When he and his family finally moved to Florida when he was 9, his life changed in other ways than baseball.
"At first it was a big change. The language at first was a big obstacle and having to get used to going to another school where it was mandatory was hard," Moreno said. "In Cuba, it was more like where if you didn't want to go to school, you didn't have to. "But in Florida, I've improved a lot playing baseball. When I first got here, I hardly knew how to throw or hit. My dad worked with me a lot. We would go out and play after he got off of work and I improved the first couple of [years] I was there."
Moreno continued to play baseball through high school while attending South Miami Senior High School where he earned second team all-Dade County MVP honors. He hopes someday to be taking his baseball talents to the next level. But for now, he is happy to learn more about the game at WNCC while getting an education.
"Like everybody else, I'd like to make it to the pros. That is what I am going to push for and if not I will get an education and stay close to baseball or sports or anything along that line," he said. "But it takes a lot of hard work [to get to the majors] and a lot of getting noticed But if others can do it, it gives everyone else a dream that we can do it, too."
First place on the line
(Note: story ran before the snow storm. Since then, the series locations changed. Sunday's games are at Sterling and Monday's games are at Cleveland Field.)
Submitted by Jeremy Woznick
By Star-Herald Sports Reporter
For more coverage on WNCC or area sports check out the Star-Herald either online or on the newstands six days a week.
Although it's still early in the Region IX baseball season, there's no denying the importance of this weekend's four-game series between the Western Nebraska Community College and Northeastern Junior College baseball teams.
Both teams enter the key series in the top two spots of the Region IX standings. With a 7-1 regional record, NJC sits atop the standings while WNCC is just one game behind with a 6-2 mark. The teams will square off in doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. at Cleveland Field in Scottsbluff.
"You hate to put too much emphasis on any one series, but considering we're the top two teams in the regional standings right now it looks to be pretty important on paper," said WNCC coach Mike Jones of the weekend series. "For us, we're just going to take it one game at a time and emphasize playing the best baseball we can."
Fresh off a four-game sweep of Otero Junior College last weekend, the Cougars have been playing their best baseball of the season as of late. A lot of that has been a result of strong pitching, which includes complete-game wins by starters Phillips Orta and Todd Stachura.After allowing no runs in a no decision in Arizona on March 17, Orta dominated Otero in his last start on Saturday. Stachura followed Orta with a complete-game gem on Sunday as the Cougars completed the four-game sweep of the Rattlers. WNCC also received key pitching performances last weekend from Greg Crowe and Dan Bauer.
Submitted by Jeremy Woznick
By Star-Herald Sports Reporter
For more coverage on WNCC or area sports check out the Star-Herald either online or on the newstands six days a week.
Although it's still early in the Region IX baseball season, there's no denying the importance of this weekend's four-game series between the Western Nebraska Community College and Northeastern Junior College baseball teams.
Both teams enter the key series in the top two spots of the Region IX standings. With a 7-1 regional record, NJC sits atop the standings while WNCC is just one game behind with a 6-2 mark. The teams will square off in doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. at Cleveland Field in Scottsbluff.
"You hate to put too much emphasis on any one series, but considering we're the top two teams in the regional standings right now it looks to be pretty important on paper," said WNCC coach Mike Jones of the weekend series. "For us, we're just going to take it one game at a time and emphasize playing the best baseball we can."
Fresh off a four-game sweep of Otero Junior College last weekend, the Cougars have been playing their best baseball of the season as of late. A lot of that has been a result of strong pitching, which includes complete-game wins by starters Phillips Orta and Todd Stachura.After allowing no runs in a no decision in Arizona on March 17, Orta dominated Otero in his last start on Saturday. Stachura followed Orta with a complete-game gem on Sunday as the Cougars completed the four-game sweep of the Rattlers. WNCC also received key pitching performances last weekend from Greg Crowe and Dan Bauer.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
WNCC, Black Hills State split softball games
The WNCC’s Jessica McNabb slapped a fifth-inning triple to help the Cougars and Natasha Dypchey struck out eight Yellow Jackets as the Cougars came back for a 4-3 in game one.
In the nightcap,
WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff and
“The good thing was we played well against their No. 1 pitcher (Jessica Clark) who was coming off being the DAC pitcher of the week,” WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said. “I thought in the second game Jessica Pexton threw a great game up until the sixth inning. We just couldn’t play enough defense behind her. Good teams, when you make mistakes will make you pay for it. That is what they did to us. They are a little shell-shock. We have always been the comeback team and today, we couldn’t do what we needed to do.”
Gurney said her team never gave up and kept fighting to the end.
“We played pretty solid. They are fighters and they kept battling back even when they were down. It was a good game for us,” she said. “I told them they need to start off the games that way instead of waiting until the end of the innings to do that. But it worked. I think hitting is contagious and one hit led to another, so that was good for us.”
Actually, both teams had big hits to jumpstart the offenses. In game one, WNCC took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a two hits by Lauren Mills and Jessica McNabb, and two walks and an error.
Black Hills
WNCC came right back in the bottom of the frame. Jessica Ventoza led off with a slap single followed by McNabb’s triple down the rightfield line. Two batters later, Ashley Eichelberger singled to score McNabb with the go-ahead run.
Dypchey picked up the win for the Cougars allowing three hits, while walking two and striking out eight. Jessica Clark, who was the DAC pitcher of the week with 25 strikeouts in 35 innings last week, took the loss.
WNCC’s McNabb and Mills led the way at the plate with 2-for-3 performances. McNabb had a triple, run scored and RBI, while Mills had two singles. No other player on either team had multiple hits.
The second game was a pitcher’s dual between WNCC’s Pexton and BHSU’s Vidgar. Vidgar picked up the win allowing just three runs on seven hits, while striking out five. The only damage the Cougars managed against Vidgar was in the third inning. After McNabb and Ventoza reached base on a hitsbatsman and a single, Eichelberger blasted a home run over the leftfield fence to put WNCC up 3-0.
The lead stayed that way through 5 2/3 innings as Pexton was throwing a gem shutting out the Yellow Jackets until
WNCC had one last ditch hope in their last at bat. With two outs, Amanda Hensley hit a solo home run that hit the scoreboard, but it wasn’t enough.
Kara Ryman led the Cougars with a 2-for-3 performance, while Lore,
Gurney said these were two good games. "Both are two very good teams and I credit
Winn-Ratliff said that her team will have to learn from Tuesday’s contest and get ready for the rest of the games this week.
“Hopefully, we will get our games in with
Friday’s contests are Region IX games, and WNCC is still in the hunt for winning the league title.
“We are sitting in a good spot and that is a little bit hit or miss a little bit,” Winn-Ratliff said. “They hit the ball real well and they have a real nice pitcher. If we don’t do what we are suppose to do, they will come up and beat us.”
Black Hills
WNCC 020 020 x – 4 8 1
WP – Dypchey, LP – Clark; 2B – WNCC 1 (Ryman), BHSU 1 (
WNCC (18-11) 003 000 0 – 4 7 2
WP – Vidgar, LP – Pexton; 2B – BHSU 2 (Lore, Clark); HR – WNCC 2 (Eichelberger, Hensley), BHSU 1 (
Monday, March 26, 2007
WNCC baseball sweeps Otero Sunday
The Cougars moved to 6-2 in league play with Sunday’s wins and trail
WNCC played much better Sunday then Saturday when they won 4-2 and 3-2. In Sunday’s contests, Gering’s Travis Lindhorst belted a 3-run home run in the fifth inning to open up a 9-3 lead.
WNCC pounded out 10 hits in the win including a 3-for-4 performance from Marco Moreno, and a 2-for-4 performance from Carson Cook. Cook also drove in three runs, stored twice and had two stolen bases.
Lindhorst, though, was the big hitter with the 3-run shot in the fifth inning.
Greg Crowe picked up the win going 3 2/3 innings. Crowd, the righthander from Parker,
In the second game, Todd Stachura pitched a complete game, scattering seven hits, while striking out two. Stachura gave up just two runs, one being earned.
Offensively, the Cougar bats stayed hot by scoring three times in the opening inning only to see Otero bounce back with two of their own for a 3-2 first-inning score. Stachura settled down after the first baffling the Rattler hitters.
WNCC, in the meantime, pounded 10 hits in the win. Abraham Cervantez paced the Cougars with a 2-2 performance, including a double and one RBI. Gilbert Gonzalez continued his torrid hitting with a 3-for-4 performance with three RBIs and two stolen bases.
Daniel Martinez and Richie Stewart also hit with authority. Stewart went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while
WNCC, now 11-15 on the season, will host
Region IX Baseball Standings
Region IX Overall
Team Record Record
McCook C.C. 3-3 11-9
Lamar C.C. 4-4 15-14
Otero J.C. 1-7 3-15
Monday’s Games
McCook at
Wednesday’s Games
Northeastern JC at
McCook at
McCook at Lamar
Saturday’s Games
McCook at Lamar
Sunday’s Games
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Stellar pitching sparks Cougars
Submitted by Alex Helmbrecht
Star-Herald Sports Reporter
For more stories on WNCC athletics, check out the print edition of the Star-Herald or visit them online.
La JUNTA, Colo. - Western Nebraska Community College starting pitcher Phillips Orta pitched a complete game to lead the Cougars to their 4-2 win over Otero Junior College during the first game of their doubleheader Saturday in La Junta, Colo.
In the second game, WNCC rallied from a 2-0 deficit after five innings and scored three runs in the final two innings to clip Otero, 3-2. Dan Bauer got the win after coming in relief of starting pitcher Jeff McDonald.
"It's always good to win a conference doubleheader on the road," WNCC coach Mike Jones said. "And since we won both of them today we're going into (today's) games with Otero with a lot of momentum."
Orta, who improved his record to 3-2 on the season, helped the Cougars withstand three costly errors, which resulted in two Otero runs in the first inning, as he struck out three and allowed just one hit after the opening inning. Orta also struck out three, while walking one.
"I'm very pleased with how Phillips pitched," Jones said. "He did a nice job of keeping his composure on the mound after a bad defensive first inning. He did an outstanding job pitching."
WNCC's Marco Moreno led the Cougars from the plate with a 2 for 4 outing, including a triple. Moreno also knocked in a run. Chris Hook's lone hit - a single in the fourth inning - scored two runs that gave the Cougars the lead for good at 3-2, and WNCC's Gilbert Gonzalez scored two runs and hit a double.
In the second game, the Cougars found themselves down 2-0 after five innings, but they scored two runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game and Gonzalez scored the winning run in the top of the seventh to give WNCC its 3-2 win.Gonzalez, Daniel Martinez and Eneldis Vazquez all belted doubles for the Cougars.
Bauer, who serves as WNCC's closer, pitched 1 1/3 innings to get the win. He relived McDonald with the tying run on third base. But Bauer struck out Otero's batter to end the Rattlers' threat. In the seventh inning, Bauer sat the Rattlers' down in order and he fanned two of the four batters he faced in the game.
"Dan's been a real nice closer for us and he's come in and pitched well during some clutch spots," Jones said. "Today he had to really reach back and he came in and mowed them down."
Game One
WNCC 000 301 0 - 4 7 3
Otero 200 000 0 - 2 2 1
WP - Orta (3-2); LP - Hershman; 3B - Moreno; 2B - Gonzalez.
Game Two
WNCC (8-15) 000 002 1 - 3 7 0
Otero 010 010 0 - 2 7 1
WP - Bauer; LP - Vierra; 2B - Gonzalez, Martinez, Vazquez.
Star-Herald Sports Reporter
For more stories on WNCC athletics, check out the print edition of the Star-Herald or visit them online.
La JUNTA, Colo. - Western Nebraska Community College starting pitcher Phillips Orta pitched a complete game to lead the Cougars to their 4-2 win over Otero Junior College during the first game of their doubleheader Saturday in La Junta, Colo.
In the second game, WNCC rallied from a 2-0 deficit after five innings and scored three runs in the final two innings to clip Otero, 3-2. Dan Bauer got the win after coming in relief of starting pitcher Jeff McDonald.
"It's always good to win a conference doubleheader on the road," WNCC coach Mike Jones said. "And since we won both of them today we're going into (today's) games with Otero with a lot of momentum."
Orta, who improved his record to 3-2 on the season, helped the Cougars withstand three costly errors, which resulted in two Otero runs in the first inning, as he struck out three and allowed just one hit after the opening inning. Orta also struck out three, while walking one.
"I'm very pleased with how Phillips pitched," Jones said. "He did a nice job of keeping his composure on the mound after a bad defensive first inning. He did an outstanding job pitching."
WNCC's Marco Moreno led the Cougars from the plate with a 2 for 4 outing, including a triple. Moreno also knocked in a run. Chris Hook's lone hit - a single in the fourth inning - scored two runs that gave the Cougars the lead for good at 3-2, and WNCC's Gilbert Gonzalez scored two runs and hit a double.
In the second game, the Cougars found themselves down 2-0 after five innings, but they scored two runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game and Gonzalez scored the winning run in the top of the seventh to give WNCC its 3-2 win.Gonzalez, Daniel Martinez and Eneldis Vazquez all belted doubles for the Cougars.
Bauer, who serves as WNCC's closer, pitched 1 1/3 innings to get the win. He relived McDonald with the tying run on third base. But Bauer struck out Otero's batter to end the Rattlers' threat. In the seventh inning, Bauer sat the Rattlers' down in order and he fanned two of the four batters he faced in the game.
"Dan's been a real nice closer for us and he's come in and pitched well during some clutch spots," Jones said. "Today he had to really reach back and he came in and mowed them down."
Game One
WNCC 000 301 0 - 4 7 3
Otero 200 000 0 - 2 2 1
WP - Orta (3-2); LP - Hershman; 3B - Moreno; 2B - Gonzalez.
Game Two
WNCC (8-15) 000 002 1 - 3 7 0
Otero 010 010 0 - 2 7 1
WP - Bauer; LP - Vierra; 2B - Gonzalez, Martinez, Vazquez.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
WNCC announces five summer volleyball camps
Green will conduct a team camp for high school teams June 25-26. This camp is for high school teams only and costs $25 per participant. No fundamental sessions will be held. Instead, teams will play other teams in competition. Only 12 varsity and 12 junior varsity teams will be allowed.
Camp participants will receive a T-shirt.The other four camps are skills camps. The first skills camp is for young girls in the fourth through 6th grade on June 22-23. The camp will run from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. and 12:30-3:30 the first day and from 8:30-11:30 a.m. the second day. The cost of the camp is $50.
The middle school skills camp for girls in the 7th and 8th grades will be held July 2-3. There will be both a morning and afternoon session both days. The cost is $60 per camper and included a
The high school skills camp will be held July 5-6 for girls from 9th to 12th grades. The cost is $60 for two sessions both days from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 12:30-3:30 p.m.
The skills camps will give the participants an opportunity to develop and fine tune the fundamental skills and techniques in serving, blocking, hitting, passing, setting and defense. The skill camps are limited to 36 participants each session.
The final volleyball camp will be a setter/hitter
Green, who has guided the Cougar women to eight straight national tournaments including a runner-up finish this past fall, will guide the camps. Green will be assisted by assistant coach Amy Winters and past, current and incoming members of the Cougar volleyball team.
Camp registration forms can be downloaded from the WNCC athletic website at sports.wncc.net. For more information on the camp, contact Green at 308-635-6028 or at greenc@wncc.net.
WNCC soccer camps set for July 23-27
The first camp will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 noon for recreational players for all ages. Recreational players are individuals that want to improve their soccer skills. The cost is $80 per camper for ages 9 and above, and &70 for ages 8 and under. Included in the cost will be a
The second camp will be for advanced, competitive players ages 9 and up. The camp will run from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. and costs $80 per camper. This camp will be more structured in learning the game of soccer. Included in the cost will be a
There will be a discount of $10 per person if more than one person in a family signs up for the advanced camp. Also, campers that attend both camps can do so for $130.
The camps will be instructed by WNCC men’s and women’s soccer coach Todd Rasnic and assistant coaches Nate Rock and Jim Miller. Former and current Cougar men’s and women’s soccer players will also help with the camp.
Camp registrations can be downloaded off the WNCC athletic website at sports.wncc.net. For more information on the soccer camp, contact Rasnic at 308-635-6150 or at rasnict@wncc.net.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
WNCC softball splits with Paradise Valley
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team paradise in Arizona didn’t end the way they wanted after splitting with Paradise Valley Community College in the team’s games for their Spring Break trip.
The Cougars started things off well, registering a 4-0 win against the Pumas as Natasha Dypchey earned the win scattering seven hits while striking out two.
The nightcap wasn’t rosy as Paradise Valley scored six early runs to earn the split 8-2. WNCC drops to 17-10 on the season with their next games Tuesday at home against Black Hills State.
In the opener, WNCC registered 13 hits in posting the win. The Cougars scored first in the second inning as Kara Ryman and Amanda Torimaru each collected singles. Lauren Mills then scored Ryman with a base hit for the 1-0 lead.
Actually that was all WNCC needed as Dypchey was throwing well. But the Cougars added insurance runs with single runs in the third, fourth and seventh inning.
Amanda Hensley started things in the third inning with a single and later scored on a Ryman base hit.
The fourth inning say Dypchey start things with a walk followed by singles by Mills and Jessica Ventoza. Ventoza’s single scored Dypchey for the 3-0 lead.
The final insurance run came as Ashley Eichelberger singled and then scored on Ryman’s double – the only extra base hit by the Cougars.
Ryman and Mills led the Cougars from the plate. Ryman went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a run, while Mille was 3-for-3 with an RBI> Ventoza was the only other player with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The second game didn’t go WNCC’s way early on. The Pumas scored twice in the first and four times in the second to run to a 6-0 lead. WNCC sliced the lead to 6-2 with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings. The Cougars, who had seven hits for the game, had two in the fourth inning by Eichelberger and Dypchey, while Hensley had a clutch single in the fifth inning to spark the Cougar’s comeback.
The comeback, though, wouldn’t happen as Paradise Valley had single runs in the fifth an sixth innings for the win.
Jessica Pexton took the loss in the circle striking out one and walking four. Dypchey came in relief in the fourth inning and struck out four Pumas.
Hensley was the only Cougar in double figures with a 2-for-4 day. Ryman also had a good game going 1-for-1 with two walks, a sacrifice and an RBI.
Game One
WNCC 011 100 1 – 4 13
Paradise Valley 000 000 0 – 0 7
WP – Dypchey; 2B – Ryman.
Game Two
WNCC (17-10) 000 110 0 – 2 7
Paradise Valley (12-18) 240 011 x – 8 14
LP – Pexton.
The Cougars started things off well, registering a 4-0 win against the Pumas as Natasha Dypchey earned the win scattering seven hits while striking out two.
The nightcap wasn’t rosy as Paradise Valley scored six early runs to earn the split 8-2. WNCC drops to 17-10 on the season with their next games Tuesday at home against Black Hills State.
In the opener, WNCC registered 13 hits in posting the win. The Cougars scored first in the second inning as Kara Ryman and Amanda Torimaru each collected singles. Lauren Mills then scored Ryman with a base hit for the 1-0 lead.
Actually that was all WNCC needed as Dypchey was throwing well. But the Cougars added insurance runs with single runs in the third, fourth and seventh inning.
Amanda Hensley started things in the third inning with a single and later scored on a Ryman base hit.
The fourth inning say Dypchey start things with a walk followed by singles by Mills and Jessica Ventoza. Ventoza’s single scored Dypchey for the 3-0 lead.
The final insurance run came as Ashley Eichelberger singled and then scored on Ryman’s double – the only extra base hit by the Cougars.
Ryman and Mills led the Cougars from the plate. Ryman went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a run, while Mille was 3-for-3 with an RBI> Ventoza was the only other player with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The second game didn’t go WNCC’s way early on. The Pumas scored twice in the first and four times in the second to run to a 6-0 lead. WNCC sliced the lead to 6-2 with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings. The Cougars, who had seven hits for the game, had two in the fourth inning by Eichelberger and Dypchey, while Hensley had a clutch single in the fifth inning to spark the Cougar’s comeback.
The comeback, though, wouldn’t happen as Paradise Valley had single runs in the fifth an sixth innings for the win.
Jessica Pexton took the loss in the circle striking out one and walking four. Dypchey came in relief in the fourth inning and struck out four Pumas.
Hensley was the only Cougar in double figures with a 2-for-4 day. Ryman also had a good game going 1-for-1 with two walks, a sacrifice and an RBI.
Game One
WNCC 011 100 1 – 4 13
Paradise Valley 000 000 0 – 0 7
WP – Dypchey; 2B – Ryman.
Game Two
WNCC (17-10) 000 110 0 – 2 7
Paradise Valley (12-18) 240 011 x – 8 14
LP – Pexton.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
WNCC baseball falls to Seward County
Submitted by JEREMY Woznick
Star-Herald Sports Reporter
(For more added coverage and daily Cougar stories, visit the Star-Herald online at www.starherald.com).
GLENDALE, Ariz. - The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team ran into another strong pitching performance Tuesday afternoon against Seward County Community College during the fourth day of its spring break road trip.
After scoring only two runs in a loss to Glendale Community College on Monday, the Cougars were limited to only one run through eight innings Tuesday before falling 7-3. The loss dropped the Cougars to 2-4 on their Arizona swing and 7-15 overall.
"Their [Seward County's] lefthander did a good job of keeping our offense in check," WNCC coach Mike Jones said. "We didn't have a lot of good swings at pitches today and he did a nice job of mixing up his pitches. Take nothing away from Seward County, but I didn't think we played with much intensity and that was a little disappointing."
WNCC jumped in front 1-0 in the top of the second before Seward County answered with a run in its half of the second and went ahead for good with a run in the fourth and three more in the fifth.
Trailing 7-1 entering the ninth, the Cougars plated a pair of runs in the top of the inning.
Offensively in the game, WNCC was led by JayC Perez. Perez went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Gilbert Gonzalez went 2-for-4 and Chris Hook finished with a double and two runs scored.
Cesar Perez took the loss on the mound for the Cougars after pitching three and two/thirds innings. Perez allowed four runs on seven hits. After a day off today, WNCC wraps up its spring break trip Thursday against Phoenix College in Phoenix.
Phillips Orta is scheduled to get the start on the mound, but will see limited action as Jones plans to use a committee of pitchers.
"I think it's real important that we come out and play well on Thursday," Jones said. "We would really like to go into Otero this weekend with some momentum."
WNCC (7-15) 010 000 002 - 3 7 2
Seward County 010 130 11x - 7 13 1
LP - Cesar Perez (0-1); 2B - JayC Perez, Chris Hook.
Star-Herald Sports Reporter
(For more added coverage and daily Cougar stories, visit the Star-Herald online at www.starherald.com).
GLENDALE, Ariz. - The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team ran into another strong pitching performance Tuesday afternoon against Seward County Community College during the fourth day of its spring break road trip.
After scoring only two runs in a loss to Glendale Community College on Monday, the Cougars were limited to only one run through eight innings Tuesday before falling 7-3. The loss dropped the Cougars to 2-4 on their Arizona swing and 7-15 overall.
"Their [Seward County's] lefthander did a good job of keeping our offense in check," WNCC coach Mike Jones said. "We didn't have a lot of good swings at pitches today and he did a nice job of mixing up his pitches. Take nothing away from Seward County, but I didn't think we played with much intensity and that was a little disappointing."
WNCC jumped in front 1-0 in the top of the second before Seward County answered with a run in its half of the second and went ahead for good with a run in the fourth and three more in the fifth.
Trailing 7-1 entering the ninth, the Cougars plated a pair of runs in the top of the inning.
Offensively in the game, WNCC was led by JayC Perez. Perez went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Gilbert Gonzalez went 2-for-4 and Chris Hook finished with a double and two runs scored.
Cesar Perez took the loss on the mound for the Cougars after pitching three and two/thirds innings. Perez allowed four runs on seven hits. After a day off today, WNCC wraps up its spring break trip Thursday against Phoenix College in Phoenix.
Phillips Orta is scheduled to get the start on the mound, but will see limited action as Jones plans to use a committee of pitchers.
"I think it's real important that we come out and play well on Thursday," Jones said. "We would really like to go into Otero this weekend with some momentum."
WNCC (7-15) 010 000 002 - 3 7 2
Seward County 010 130 11x - 7 13 1
LP - Cesar Perez (0-1); 2B - JayC Perez, Chris Hook.
WNCC softball team falls twice at Chandler-Gilbert
CHANDLER, Ariz. – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team’s 11-game winning streak came to a halt Tuesday in games against Chandler-Gilbert Community College.
The Cougars and Coyotes hooked up for 28 runs and 22 hits in the first game, but it was Chandler-Gilbert that came out on the winning side, earning the 18-10 win. In the nightcap, both teams finished with 10 hits, but Chandler-Gilbert earned the 7-5 win.
The Cougars, who dropped to 16-9 on the season, will look to rebound today when they face Paradise Valley Community College in the final day of the team’s Spring Break trip.
Still, the Cougar women had some outstanding hitting. In the first game, WNCC jumped out to a 3-0 lead only to see the Coyotes answer with five runs to take a 5-3 lead after one. The Coyotes added a single run in the second, six in the third and three in the fourth for a 15-4 lead.
WNCC sliced the lead to 15-10 with a six-spot in the fifth inning, but it wasn’t enough.
Jessica Pexton picked up the loss in the circle for the Cougars.
Offensively, Jessica Ventoza was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Amanda Hensley also finished with a 3-for-4 performance including two RBIs and a double, while hot-hitting Jessie McNabb finished with 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Ashley Eichelberger belted a triple in the loss.
The second game was a little closer. Chandler-Gilbert scored first, only to see WNCC came back with two in the second to grab the 2-1 lead. The Coyotes came storming back with six runs over the next three innings to take a 7-2 lead.
WNCC, just like they have done all season, started a comeback scoring a single run in the sixth and two runs in the seventh, but the comeback came up just short.
Natasha Dypchey took the loss in the circle.
The Cougars did have four players finish with multi hits. Whittany Foster, Kara Ryman and Lauren Mills each went 2-for-3. Ryman also belted a double and had one RBI and a run scored, whbile Foster and Mills each had two singles and an RBI.
McNabb continued showcasing her power finishing with a 2-for-4 performance, including a triple and an RBI.
After today’s game against Paradise Valley, the Cougars will be back at home for a contest against Black Hills State College on Tuesday at Volunteer Field.
First Game
WNCC 310 060 – 10 12
Chandler-Gilbert 516 303 – 18 18
LP – Pexton; 2B – Ventoza, McNabb, Hensley; 3B – Eichelberger.
Second Game
WNCC (16-9) 020 001 2 – 5 10
Chandler Gilbert (9-7) 101 230 x – 7 10
LP – Dypchey; 2B – Ryman; 3B – McNabb.
The Cougars and Coyotes hooked up for 28 runs and 22 hits in the first game, but it was Chandler-Gilbert that came out on the winning side, earning the 18-10 win. In the nightcap, both teams finished with 10 hits, but Chandler-Gilbert earned the 7-5 win.
The Cougars, who dropped to 16-9 on the season, will look to rebound today when they face Paradise Valley Community College in the final day of the team’s Spring Break trip.
Still, the Cougar women had some outstanding hitting. In the first game, WNCC jumped out to a 3-0 lead only to see the Coyotes answer with five runs to take a 5-3 lead after one. The Coyotes added a single run in the second, six in the third and three in the fourth for a 15-4 lead.
WNCC sliced the lead to 15-10 with a six-spot in the fifth inning, but it wasn’t enough.
Jessica Pexton picked up the loss in the circle for the Cougars.
Offensively, Jessica Ventoza was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Amanda Hensley also finished with a 3-for-4 performance including two RBIs and a double, while hot-hitting Jessie McNabb finished with 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Ashley Eichelberger belted a triple in the loss.
The second game was a little closer. Chandler-Gilbert scored first, only to see WNCC came back with two in the second to grab the 2-1 lead. The Coyotes came storming back with six runs over the next three innings to take a 7-2 lead.
WNCC, just like they have done all season, started a comeback scoring a single run in the sixth and two runs in the seventh, but the comeback came up just short.
Natasha Dypchey took the loss in the circle.
The Cougars did have four players finish with multi hits. Whittany Foster, Kara Ryman and Lauren Mills each went 2-for-3. Ryman also belted a double and had one RBI and a run scored, whbile Foster and Mills each had two singles and an RBI.
McNabb continued showcasing her power finishing with a 2-for-4 performance, including a triple and an RBI.
After today’s game against Paradise Valley, the Cougars will be back at home for a contest against Black Hills State College on Tuesday at Volunteer Field.
First Game
WNCC 310 060 – 10 12
Chandler-Gilbert 516 303 – 18 18
LP – Pexton; 2B – Ventoza, McNabb, Hensley; 3B – Eichelberger.
Second Game
WNCC (16-9) 020 001 2 – 5 10
Chandler Gilbert (9-7) 101 230 x – 7 10
LP – Dypchey; 2B – Ryman; 3B – McNabb.
Survivor star featured speaker at April 26 Athletic Banquet
When Chad Crittenden participated in the CBS hit television show Survivor:
On April 26, Crittenden will share his story of the “Will to Survive” during the Western Nebraska Community College Athletic Banquet. The banquet will be held at
WNCC Athletic Director Jennifer Pedersen said it should be an informative evening. “
Crittenden’s story of courage begins at an early age where he begin his love of sports, while attending Half Moon Bay High in California, where he participated in many sporting activities such as soccer, tennis, bowling, fishing, running and mountain biking.
After high school, Crittenden worked for a community college in
Crittenden then taught two years in
Nine months after the surgery, he completed a triathlon and then earned a chance to compete on Survivor in 2004. Crittenden lasted until the ninth tribal council before he was voted off the island.
“We asked
Besides Crittenden’s “Will to Survive” presentation, Pedersen said individual participation awards for all athletes will be handed out. Also team most valuable player and sportsmanship honors will presented, as well as male and female athlete of the year and Cougar award winners. A Patron of the year award will also be presented.
Crittenden will also speak to WNCC students earlier in the day at 11 a.m. Tickets for the evening event can be purchased at the WNCC athletic office. Reservations Reservations must be made by April 17. For more information on the event, individuals can call the athletic office at 308-635-6151.
Monday, March 19, 2007
WNCC baseball goes 1-3 at spring break trip
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team came out with hitting authority on Sunday, but only managed a split of games against Ft. Scott Community College and Central Arizona College.
WNCC lost a heartbreaker to Ft. Scott 10-9, giving up six runs in the seventh inning for the loss. The Cougars bounced back in the second game on Sunday earning a 9-6 9-inning win against Central Arizona College.
WNCC’s strong hitting on Sunday didn’t last on Monday as the Cougars fell 5-2 to Glendale Community College. The Cougars Chris Cuadra pitched well despite getting the win.
“We played a lot better then the score indicated,” WNCC coach Mike Jones said. “We hit a lot of ball hard, but they just caught them. That is a part of baseball.”
Cuadra was cruising through six innings before Glendale scored four runs in the seventh inning to gain the 9-inning win. WNCC managed just three hits in the contest, a double by Eneldis Vazquez, and singles by Gilbert Gonzalez and Marco Moreno.
WNCC jumped out to a 2-1 lead after three innings. In the second, Vazquez walked and advanced on a hit by Jay C Perez. Moreno followed with a grounder to score Vazquez.
The Cougars added another run in the third as Travis Lindhorst reached base on an error. After Lindhorst stole second, the Gering High graduate scored on a Martinez hit that the shortstop booted.
WNCC failed to score the rest of the game as Glendale scored four runs in the seventh inning. Glendale finished with nine hits. Cuadra took the loss. “Chris pitched really well, even in the seventh inning,” Jones said.
In Sunday’s contests, The Cougars controlled Ft. Scott holding a 9-4 lead into the seventh inning. Greg Crowe pitched well, going five innings and giving up four runs. Dan Bauer, who had been sensational as the closer in previous games, took the loss giving up six runs in the final inning.
WNCC hit the ball with authority, blasting 13 hits, including five doubles. Gonzalez led the team with a 3-for-4 performance, including three RBIs and two runs scored. Moreina and Vazquez each went 2-for-4 with a double. Also collecting doubles were Lindhorst, Perez and Lindhorst.
Hook and Lindhorst added two RBIs, while Perez had three runs scored. “We should have won,” Jones said. “We were cruising and in complete control. They then had enough hits and to come back in the game.”
It didn’t take long for the Cougars to put the opening game on Sunday behind them. Against Central Arizona, WNCC pounded out 12 hits and took control of the game early scoring five first inning runs.
WNCC received a run-scoring single to score Martinez to open the game. Perez followed with a double that scored Pedro Suarez and Stewart. Cook finished off the scoring with a single that scored Perez and Gonzalez for the 5-0 lead.
WNCC added a single run in the second and two runs in the third, while allowing Central Arizona just three runs in the second to hold an 8-3 lead. In the second,
The came stayed that way until the seventh when WNCC scored one run on back-to-back doubles by Perez and Gonzalez. Central Arizona tried to come back, but was shut down.
Todd Stachura picked up the win going 8 1/3 innings, while striking out four.
Offensively, Perez and Martinez each went 2-for-3. Perez continued his torrid hitting with two doubles and three runs scored. Cook finished the game 2-for-4, while Gonzalez was 1-for-3.
The Cougars will continue their Spring Break trip with a 9-inning contest against Seward County Community College today at 11 a.m. Vazquez will get the nod on the mound today. “They have a good club,” Jones said. “They have a couple good left-handers and I am sure we will see one of them. We will have to get good pitching. We are down to starting our bullpen guys.
Sunday Games
Ft. Scott 101 020 6 – 10 8 1
WNCC 010 242 09 13 3
LP – Bauer; 2B – Vazquez, Moreno, Hook, Lindhorst, Perez.
WNCC 512 000 100 – 9 12 0
Central Arizona 030 000 201 – 6 9 1
WP – Stachura; 2B – Perez 2.
Monday’s Games
WNCC 011 000 000 – 2 3 0
Glendale 001 000 40x – 8 9 2
LP – Cuadra; 2B – Vazquez.
WNCC lost a heartbreaker to Ft. Scott 10-9, giving up six runs in the seventh inning for the loss. The Cougars bounced back in the second game on Sunday earning a 9-6 9-inning win against Central Arizona College.
WNCC’s strong hitting on Sunday didn’t last on Monday as the Cougars fell 5-2 to Glendale Community College. The Cougars Chris Cuadra pitched well despite getting the win.
“We played a lot better then the score indicated,” WNCC coach Mike Jones said. “We hit a lot of ball hard, but they just caught them. That is a part of baseball.”
Cuadra was cruising through six innings before Glendale scored four runs in the seventh inning to gain the 9-inning win. WNCC managed just three hits in the contest, a double by Eneldis Vazquez, and singles by Gilbert Gonzalez and Marco Moreno.
WNCC jumped out to a 2-1 lead after three innings. In the second, Vazquez walked and advanced on a hit by Jay C Perez. Moreno followed with a grounder to score Vazquez.
The Cougars added another run in the third as Travis Lindhorst reached base on an error. After Lindhorst stole second, the Gering High graduate scored on a Martinez hit that the shortstop booted.
WNCC failed to score the rest of the game as Glendale scored four runs in the seventh inning. Glendale finished with nine hits. Cuadra took the loss. “Chris pitched really well, even in the seventh inning,” Jones said.
In Sunday’s contests, The Cougars controlled Ft. Scott holding a 9-4 lead into the seventh inning. Greg Crowe pitched well, going five innings and giving up four runs. Dan Bauer, who had been sensational as the closer in previous games, took the loss giving up six runs in the final inning.
WNCC hit the ball with authority, blasting 13 hits, including five doubles. Gonzalez led the team with a 3-for-4 performance, including three RBIs and two runs scored. Moreina and Vazquez each went 2-for-4 with a double. Also collecting doubles were Lindhorst, Perez and Lindhorst.
Hook and Lindhorst added two RBIs, while Perez had three runs scored. “We should have won,” Jones said. “We were cruising and in complete control. They then had enough hits and to come back in the game.”
It didn’t take long for the Cougars to put the opening game on Sunday behind them. Against Central Arizona, WNCC pounded out 12 hits and took control of the game early scoring five first inning runs.
WNCC received a run-scoring single to score Martinez to open the game. Perez followed with a double that scored Pedro Suarez and Stewart. Cook finished off the scoring with a single that scored Perez and Gonzalez for the 5-0 lead.
WNCC added a single run in the second and two runs in the third, while allowing Central Arizona just three runs in the second to hold an 8-3 lead. In the second,
The came stayed that way until the seventh when WNCC scored one run on back-to-back doubles by Perez and Gonzalez. Central Arizona tried to come back, but was shut down.
Todd Stachura picked up the win going 8 1/3 innings, while striking out four.
Offensively, Perez and Martinez each went 2-for-3. Perez continued his torrid hitting with two doubles and three runs scored. Cook finished the game 2-for-4, while Gonzalez was 1-for-3.
The Cougars will continue their Spring Break trip with a 9-inning contest against Seward County Community College today at 11 a.m. Vazquez will get the nod on the mound today. “They have a good club,” Jones said. “They have a couple good left-handers and I am sure we will see one of them. We will have to get good pitching. We are down to starting our bullpen guys.
Sunday Games
Ft. Scott 101 020 6 – 10 8 1
WNCC 010 242 09 13 3
LP – Bauer; 2B – Vazquez, Moreno, Hook, Lindhorst, Perez.
WNCC 512 000 100 – 9 12 0
Central Arizona 030 000 201 – 6 9 1
WP – Stachura; 2B – Perez 2.
Monday’s Games
WNCC 011 000 000 – 2 3 0
Glendale 001 000 40x – 8 9 2
LP – Cuadra; 2B – Vazquez.
WNCC softball wins 11th straight
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team continues to excel offensively, pounding out 30 hits and scoring 27 runs in claiming a doubleheader from Gateway Community College Monday in the first day of their Spring Break trip in Arizona.
The Cougars have now won 11 straight games, running their record to 16-7 on the season.
“They are hitting the ball really well and defense as been solid,” WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said. “Overall, this is a team that sticks together and supports each other.”
Monday, the Cougars used big innings to take control of both contests. In the opener, WNCC grabbed a 2-0 lead in the third inning and then scored nine runs in the fourth to grab an 11-0 lead.
The team pounded out 13 hits in the contests. Jessie McNabb continued her sizzling hitting going 3-for-3 with four RBIs and two doubles. Kara Ryman and Amanda Hensley each went 2-for-4 in the opener. Ryman continued her extra-base hitting with two doubles, while Hensley also belted two doubles.
Natasha Dypchey picked up the win pitching five strong innings, while striking out five and walking two.
The second game was a wild affair. WNCC scored eight runs in the first inning on five walks, two hits-batsman and four hits. The big hit the inning was a McNabb double.
Gateway, though, came right back taking a 9-8 lead through three innings with five runs in the first, three in the second and a single run in the third.
WNCC responded with five runs in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh to earn the slugfest victory. The two teams combined for 30 hits and 29 runs in the contest.
Hensley and McNabb were perfect in the game, going 3-for-3. Hensley also had three runs scored and two RBIs, while McNabb had three runs scored, four RBIs and a double.
Ryman continued her hitting with a 3-for-4 performance, including a double, two runs scored and four RBIs.
Also picking up multi-hits were Jessica Ventoza, Ashley Eichelberger and Whittany Foster. Amanda Torimaru also chipped in a double.
Dypchey picked up the win coming in relief of Jessica Pexton in the second inning. Dypchey struck out two in the win.
Winn-Ratliff was pleased with the team’s hitting, which is among the top 10 in the nation. “The first game we swung the bats really well,” she said. “In the beginning of the second game we struggled a bit and it took us until the fifth inning to get our bats going.”
WNCC will continue the Spring Break trip with a doubleheader against Chandler-Gilbert this afternoon in Phoenix.
First Game
WNCC 002 90 – 11 13
Gateway 000 03 – 3 6
WP – Dypchey; 2B – McNabb 2, Ryman 2, Hensley 2.
Second Game
WNCC 800 052 1 – 16 17
Gateway 531 020 2 – 13 13
WP – Dypchey; 2B -- McNabb, Ryman, Torimaru.
The Cougars have now won 11 straight games, running their record to 16-7 on the season.
“They are hitting the ball really well and defense as been solid,” WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said. “Overall, this is a team that sticks together and supports each other.”
Monday, the Cougars used big innings to take control of both contests. In the opener, WNCC grabbed a 2-0 lead in the third inning and then scored nine runs in the fourth to grab an 11-0 lead.
The team pounded out 13 hits in the contests. Jessie McNabb continued her sizzling hitting going 3-for-3 with four RBIs and two doubles. Kara Ryman and Amanda Hensley each went 2-for-4 in the opener. Ryman continued her extra-base hitting with two doubles, while Hensley also belted two doubles.
Natasha Dypchey picked up the win pitching five strong innings, while striking out five and walking two.
The second game was a wild affair. WNCC scored eight runs in the first inning on five walks, two hits-batsman and four hits. The big hit the inning was a McNabb double.
Gateway, though, came right back taking a 9-8 lead through three innings with five runs in the first, three in the second and a single run in the third.
WNCC responded with five runs in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh to earn the slugfest victory. The two teams combined for 30 hits and 29 runs in the contest.
Hensley and McNabb were perfect in the game, going 3-for-3. Hensley also had three runs scored and two RBIs, while McNabb had three runs scored, four RBIs and a double.
Ryman continued her hitting with a 3-for-4 performance, including a double, two runs scored and four RBIs.
Also picking up multi-hits were Jessica Ventoza, Ashley Eichelberger and Whittany Foster. Amanda Torimaru also chipped in a double.
Dypchey picked up the win coming in relief of Jessica Pexton in the second inning. Dypchey struck out two in the win.
Winn-Ratliff was pleased with the team’s hitting, which is among the top 10 in the nation. “The first game we swung the bats really well,” she said. “In the beginning of the second game we struggled a bit and it took us until the fifth inning to get our bats going.”
WNCC will continue the Spring Break trip with a doubleheader against Chandler-Gilbert this afternoon in Phoenix.
First Game
WNCC 002 90 – 11 13
Gateway 000 03 – 3 6
WP – Dypchey; 2B – McNabb 2, Ryman 2, Hensley 2.
Second Game
WNCC 800 052 1 – 16 17
Gateway 531 020 2 – 13 13
WP – Dypchey; 2B -- McNabb, Ryman, Torimaru.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
WNCC women's basketball makes regional championship final
Submitted By ALEX HELMBRECHT, Star-Herald Sports Reporter
When viewing this story, be sure to check out the Star-Herald
at the above link for more updated local sports stories and news each day
The Western Nebraska Community College women's basketball team put themselves in a familiar position thanks to a 75-48 win over Miles City Community College during the semifinal round of the Region IX Women's Basketball Tournament in Casper, Wyo. on Tuesday
With the win, WNCC earns the right to play tourney host Casper today at 6 p.m. to decide the Region IX champ, as well as a spot in the women's national tournament later this month in Salina, Kan. Casper defeated Northeastern Junior College 61-56 in the other semifinal on Tuesday.
Against Miles City, the Cougars' defense was once again stellar as they limited the Pioneers to just 38 total shot attempts, while the Cougars hit 31 of 65.
"I thought we defended well all night long and we used a full-court press all night long that caused a lot of problems for them," WNCC coach Dave Harnish said. "I think they had 25 or 26 turnovers and we came out and made some threes early and we got them out of their zone. So that changed the tempo and we were able to take advantage of that."
WNCC jumped out to a quick 18-8 lead and didn't look back the rest of the game as the Cougars didn't let Miles City get closer than 10 points the rest of the way. At halftime, the Cougars led 48-26.
"We played for 40 minutes and we came out of the game really well. We jumped out on them early and certainly the 20-point lead at halftime helped a bunch," Harnish said. "We just kind of stayed around a 20-25-point lead all night and I'm certainly pleased about the effort."
Four Cougars finished in double figures, led by Tiara Scott's 15 points. She also had five rebounds. Also for WNCC, Chelsea Lyles finished with 13 points and four boards; Kiki Taylor had 10 points, five assists and three steals; and Allison Cheney scored 10 points and added three steals. Both Cheney and Taylor each added two treys.
As a team, the Cougars hit 8 of 21 3-point attempts and they were a perfect 5 of 5 from the free-throw line.
Harnish was pleased to see his team play one of its most complete games during the most crucial point of the season.
"We've had a few games after the first semester where we've played really well, but we've done better here," he said. "We played well during the second half last night and we carried that on [Tuesday]. Playing three games has really helped us with our rhythm and hopefully we can carry that on against Casper."
Casper, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, split a pair of games with WNCC during the regular season. Casper defeated WNCC 58-53 on Jan. 27 to earn the right to host the Region IX tourney, but WNCC bounced back with a 55-51 win over the Thunderbirds on Feb. 10.
Today, Harnish said the Cougars need to push the tempo of the game in order to have success.
"Casper really likes playing a half-court game and the way we played defensively tonight if we can do that [today] we can get into a faster tempo game to our speed and that's going to be key," he said. "
They were able to slow down our other two games and I think they were in the 50s. So we'd like to get the game into the 60s or 70s and that's going to be a key for us. We need to defend well and get steals because they'll lead to fast breaks to get into a quicker game."
WNCC (27-1) 48 27 - 75
Miles City 26 22 - 48
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Kiki Taylor 10, Emma Beddome 7, Tiara Scott 15, Lesley Olson 6, Victoria Martin 4, Alison Cheney 10, Shiraya Soto 6, Aurelie Derenoncourt 4, Chelsea Lyles 13.
When viewing this story, be sure to check out the Star-Herald
at the above link for more updated local sports stories and news each day
The Western Nebraska Community College women's basketball team put themselves in a familiar position thanks to a 75-48 win over Miles City Community College during the semifinal round of the Region IX Women's Basketball Tournament in Casper, Wyo. on Tuesday
With the win, WNCC earns the right to play tourney host Casper today at 6 p.m. to decide the Region IX champ, as well as a spot in the women's national tournament later this month in Salina, Kan. Casper defeated Northeastern Junior College 61-56 in the other semifinal on Tuesday.
Against Miles City, the Cougars' defense was once again stellar as they limited the Pioneers to just 38 total shot attempts, while the Cougars hit 31 of 65.
"I thought we defended well all night long and we used a full-court press all night long that caused a lot of problems for them," WNCC coach Dave Harnish said. "I think they had 25 or 26 turnovers and we came out and made some threes early and we got them out of their zone. So that changed the tempo and we were able to take advantage of that."
WNCC jumped out to a quick 18-8 lead and didn't look back the rest of the game as the Cougars didn't let Miles City get closer than 10 points the rest of the way. At halftime, the Cougars led 48-26.
"We played for 40 minutes and we came out of the game really well. We jumped out on them early and certainly the 20-point lead at halftime helped a bunch," Harnish said. "We just kind of stayed around a 20-25-point lead all night and I'm certainly pleased about the effort."
Four Cougars finished in double figures, led by Tiara Scott's 15 points. She also had five rebounds. Also for WNCC, Chelsea Lyles finished with 13 points and four boards; Kiki Taylor had 10 points, five assists and three steals; and Allison Cheney scored 10 points and added three steals. Both Cheney and Taylor each added two treys.
As a team, the Cougars hit 8 of 21 3-point attempts and they were a perfect 5 of 5 from the free-throw line.
Harnish was pleased to see his team play one of its most complete games during the most crucial point of the season.
"We've had a few games after the first semester where we've played really well, but we've done better here," he said. "We played well during the second half last night and we carried that on [Tuesday]. Playing three games has really helped us with our rhythm and hopefully we can carry that on against Casper."
Casper, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, split a pair of games with WNCC during the regular season. Casper defeated WNCC 58-53 on Jan. 27 to earn the right to host the Region IX tourney, but WNCC bounced back with a 55-51 win over the Thunderbirds on Feb. 10.
Today, Harnish said the Cougars need to push the tempo of the game in order to have success.
"Casper really likes playing a half-court game and the way we played defensively tonight if we can do that [today] we can get into a faster tempo game to our speed and that's going to be key," he said. "
They were able to slow down our other two games and I think they were in the 50s. So we'd like to get the game into the 60s or 70s and that's going to be a key for us. We need to defend well and get steals because they'll lead to fast breaks to get into a quicker game."
WNCC (27-1) 48 27 - 75
Miles City 26 22 - 48
WESTERN NEBRASKA
Kiki Taylor 10, Emma Beddome 7, Tiara Scott 15, Lesley Olson 6, Victoria Martin 4, Alison Cheney 10, Shiraya Soto 6, Aurelie Derenoncourt 4, Chelsea Lyles 13.
Cougar baseball sweeps Otero
WNCC's Marco Moreno slides into home plate during their home game against Colby on Sunday.
Some baseball players take in the Cougar home-opener on Sunday against Colby. The team dropped both games.Submitted By Jeremy Woznick, Star-Herald Sports Reporter
When viewing this story, be sure to check out the Star-Herald
at the above link for more updated local sports stories and news each day
The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team snapped a five-game losing skid Tuesday by sweeping a doubleheader from Otero Junior College in Pueblo, Colo. WNCC, now 3-9 on the season, earned a 4-3 win in game one before blowing past the Rattlers 13-0 in game two.
The results didn't count toward either team's regional record as WNCC was scheduled to take on the Air Force Junior Varsity. Despite the opponent change, WNCC coach Mike Jones was pleased with the outcome.
"It definitely was a good day for us," Jones said. "We played much better today. Our pitchers threw a lot of strikes and we played really good defense."
Defensively, the Cougars didn't commit a single error in either game Tuesday.
In game one, WNCC scored a pair of runs in the third inning and added two more in the sixth.
Pedro Suarez's single plated both runs in the third before Marco Moreno drove in a run in the sixth with a triple. Moreno went on to score WNCC's final run.
Chris Hook paced WNCC at the plate in the game by going 2-for-3 with one run scored.
Greg Crowe earned the win on the mound. Crowe scattered four hits and allowed just two runs in five innings of work. He also struck out four. Dan Bauer collected his first save of the season out of the bullpen.
Game two proved to be much more one-sided in the Cougars' favor. After moving out to a 3-0 lead after two innings, WNCC scored four runs in the sixth before piling on six more in the seventh in earning the 13-0 win.
The Cougars finished the game with 14 hits. Suarez was one of four Cougars that had multi-hits in the contest. The sophomore from Miami went 4-for-5 with two doubles and three runs batted in. Stewart and Eneldis Vazquez each finished with three hits and Gilbert Gonzalez added two, including a double. Stewart had two doubles and four runs batted in and Vazquez tallied a double and two runs batted in.
A number of pitchers saw action on the mound for WNCC in the game. Chadron High School graduate Eric Bissonette earned the win. He allowed only one hit in two innings of work.
WNCC's next action is scheduled for Saturday when the Cougars open a key four-game series at Lamar Community College.
WNCC 002 002 0 - 4 5 0
Otero 000 021 0 - 3 5 2
WP - Greg Crowe (1-1). 3B - Marco Moreno.
Game 2
WNCC (3-9) 210 004 6 - 13 14 0
Otero 000 000 0 - 0 4 1
WP - Eric Bissonette (1-0). 2B - Pedro Suarez (2), Richie Stewart (2), Gilbert Gonzalez, Eneldis Vazquez.
Cougar men's basketball team falls two points short against Northwest to end season
The Cougars, down by five points with 14 seconds to play, nearly pulled off the comeback of the century.
It didn’t happen as the faces of Chance Wallesen and Carl Buck, who sat on the
Northwest lives another day to play No. 4 Northeastern Junior College at 7 p.m. at
“It was a great college basketball game and this is what the regional tournament is all about,” WNCC coach John Jungers said after the emotional loss. “Unfortunately, we don’t get to play anymore. That is going to be very difficult. My hats off to
What makes the game even harder to swallow for the Cougars is their emotional comeback fell inches short. Jungers congratulated Northwest on the hard fought win, and he had nothing but praise to hand out to his players.
“You have to give credit to
And, WNCC never quit despite Northwest’s torrid shooting from beyond the arc where they shot 48 percent and buried 13 3-pointers. The big shot for the Trappers came from Brett Sommerville, who buried an NBA 3-pointer with the shot clock running out. That shot, with 1:15 to play, put Northwest up by five, 70-65.
At that moment, the Cougars could have packed it in as several of the other Region IX teams in attendance, as well as some fans, headed for the doors. But, the Cougar players never lost sight of a comeback and kept battling.
WNCC’s never-give-up comeback attempt started with 39.6 seconds left as Carl Buck got a steal and then was fouled. Buck missed the front end of the one-and-one, but got the rebound and missed the putback.
The Cougars then started to foul, but with only three team fouls chalked up on their side, they had to make quick work to send the Trappers to the charity stripe. Finally, with 14.6 seconds to play, Northwest’s Milan Stanojevic went to the free throw line. Stanojevic, who made three 3-pointers on the night, missed the free throw and WNCC to the rebound.
Chance Wallesen, who just came off the bench, pulled up and hit a 3-pointer with 7.7 seconds cutting the deficit to 70-68. WNCC immediately called a timeout. On the insuing imbounds play, the Trappers through it down the court and the Cougars knocked it out of bounds giving the ball to Northwest under the Trappers basket,
WNCC’s defense was solid, causing Northwest to turn the ball over on a five second violation. The Cougars called timeout out to setup the final game-tying or winning play. Wallesen brought the ball up the court and his pass to an open Cougar in the paint was stolen as the shot clock went off singling the end of the Cougar’s season.
Northwest advances to the semi-finals by only giving up the lead twice in the game at 53-51 on a Matthew Akins offensive rebound, and 65-55 on a Ricardo De Bem bucket. But, it was the Trappers shooting, especially from the 3-point area that proved beneficial as Nate Miller nailed four treys and Stanojevic added three.
The Trappers also placed four players in double-figures. Miller and D0vydes Retkus each had 14 points, followed by Stanojevic with 13 and Sommerville with 10.
WNCC, though, was just as sizzling from the field shooting 43 percent from the field and the 3-point area. The Cougars buried nine 3-pointers, led by CJ Hampton with four, Erik Smith with three and Wallesen with two.
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