The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team tied a school record for most home runs in a contest when the Cougars blasted eight home runs in a 22-12 win over Otero College in the second game on Sunday.

                In the first contest, the Cougars offense wasn’t as explosive as they fell 4-1 to the Rattlers.

                WNCC dropped 3-of-4 to Otero over the weekend and is now tied with McCook in the Empire Conference at 12-4. Southeast Community College is on top at 14-2. WNCC will be back in action this weekend when they travel to Southeast for a crucial 4-game series.

                The second game had all the dramatics as the Cougars belted out 20 hits and 22 runs with eight home runs and three doubles. Otero also had the offensive going as they managed 18 hits with two home runs.

                WNCC’s home run power saw Arturo Montiel blast three including a grand slam followed two from Shintaro Inoue, and one each from Ashton Ross, Caleb Caciari, and Hunter McCollum.

                The eight home runs in a game ties the record set by the 2003 team when they hit eight in the regional tournament. Montiel came within one home run from tying the record for home runs in a game with his three. He is now tied with Pete Rogers (2003) and Aurello Monteagudo (2004). Rogers hods the record with four home runs in a game with McCook in 2003.

                Montiel said getting the win in the second game was important to salvage at least one game from the weekend.

                “It was big and vital for the team to get at least one win out of this and know we are tied with McCook,” the freshman catcher said. “The second game was pretty good and we had lots of confidence and our ABs (at-bats) were pretty good. We played solid in that second game.”

                The offensive was definitely hitting on all cylinders in that second game as Montiel led the team, going 4-for-5 at the plate with three home runs, four runs scored, and six RBIs. Right behind him was McCollum, Inoue, and Caciari each with three hits. All three had a home run while Caciari scored four runs, McCollum had three RBIs, and Inoue had three runs scored and four RBIs.

                Ashton Ross, Mathieu Levesque and Dylan Harris all had two hits. Levesque had three RBIs with a double, Harris had two runs scored with a double, and Ross had a home run with three runs scored and three RBIs.

                Otero scored first with a run in the first, but WNCC answered with four in the first inning on two home runs. Caciari started the inning with a walk and then Inoue blasted a 3-run home run. With two outs, Tyler Easter walked and Ross scored him with a home run for the 4-1 lead.

                WNCC added a single run in the second as Montiel got the first of his three home runs. This one was a solo shot to make it 5-1.

                Otero came back with three in the third and then plated three in the fourth to take a 7-5 lead. WNCC came back with authority in the bottom of the fourth, plating 11 runs. The fourth started when Harris doubled followed by a Caciari single. McCollum then unloaded on a pitch for a 3-run home run.

                Otero then walked the next three batters to load the bases. WNCC got two free runs as Ross was hit by a pitch and Levesque earned a walk to force in runs. Harris then singled in another run for a 15-7 lead. With the bases juiced, Montiel sent a pitch high over the centerfield fence for a grand slam and a 15-7 lead. WNCC wasn’t finished as the Cougars loaded the bases once again as Caciari and McCollum each singled and Inoue was hit by a pitch. Peterson scored one with a fielder’s choice hit to make it 16-7.

                Otero came right back in the fifth with three runs to make it 16-10. WNCC added five in the sixth inning to take a 21-12 lead. The sixth started with back-to-back home runs as Montiel got his third of the game followed by Caciari blasting one to make it 18-10. Inoue followed with a one-out solo home to make it 19-10. With two outs, WNCC plated two more on a Levesque double for the 21-10 lead.

                Otero stayed in the game as they scored two in the seventh to avoid the game being called due to the run rule. WNCC didn’t waste any time in the seventh to end the game. Montiel started the inning and instead of getting a home run, which would have tied the school record for most home runs in a contest, Monteil got a single. Tucker Deal followed with a walk. Inoue came through with the walk-off single that scored Montiel with the game-ending run.
                The second game was a sharp contrast from the first game where the two teams combined for 14 hits and just five runs. Otero only scored two runs each in the third and seventh inning while WNCC plated theirs in the seventh as Alex Ainsworth singled in Easter.

Game 1
Otero                    002 000 2 – 4 8 0
WNCC                 000 000 1 – 1 6 1
LP – Valentin Blanc.

2B – Ashton Ross.

Game 2
Otero                    103 330 2 – 12 18 0
WNCC                 410 (11)05 1 – 22 20 0
WP – Nick Tremblay.

2B – Mathieu Levesque, Dylan Harris, Bryce Peterson.

HR – Ashton Ross, Arturo Montiel 3, Caleb Caiari, Hunter McCollum, Shintaro Inoue.

WNCC softball splits with Luna

                The Western Nebraska Community College softball team split a conference doubleheader with Luna Community College on Sunday at Volunteer Field in Scottsbluff.

                The first game saw the Cougars battle back from a 7-2 deficit with a 7-run fifth inning to get the 11-9 win.

                The second game saw WNCC play strong defensively for the first six innings as the Cougars held a 3-1 lead entering the final inning. Luna responded with six runs in their final at bat to steal the 7-3 win.

                WNCC will be back in action Friday and Sunday in key conference games with McCook Community College. WNCC travels to McCook on Friday before hosting McCook on Sunday. Sunday’s contests will be sophomore recognition day.

                WNCC fell behind 5-0 after 2 ½ innings. The bottom of the third is when they played a run and scored in the next four innings. The third saw Sierra Hilgner, Bailey Legere, and Mykah Klumpp all earn a walk to load the bases. WNCC scored it’s first run when Jenika Fuentes scored on a ground out to trail 5-1.

                Both teams scored a run in the fourth. WNCC’s run came when Devyn Priselac singled and scored on a Reagan Werth single to make it 6-2.

                Luna answered with a run in the top of the fifth to make it 7-2, but the Cougars put up a 7-spot in the bottom of the fifth. It all started when Legere singled followed by Klumpp earning a walk and then Baylie Krueger singling to load the bases with one out. Randi Mitchell was hit by a pitch to force in the first run followed by Priselac roping a fly ball to left field that was mis-handle to score another run.

                WNCC made it 7-5 as Czerpak singled to score another run. WNCC tied it at 7-7 as Hilgner singled to score two runs and then Legere, batting for the second time, laced a double to score two more for the 9-7 lead.

                Luna came back with two in the sixth and had an opportunity to score more, but left the bases loaded as WNCC pitcher Kayli Cooper got two key strikeouts to keep the game tied.

                WNCC responded with two in the bottom of the sixth as Chayse Cronquist led off with a home run. Mitchell then reached on a single and scored later on a Czerpak single.

                Luna made a rally in the seventh as they loaded the bases with one out, but Cooper got a key strikeout for out number two and then induced a groundball to second baseman Hilgner for an easy out at first to end the game.

                WNCC and Luna each had 11 hits in the first game. WNCC was led by three with multi-hit games with Czerpak, Hilgner, and Legere all getting two hits. Those three all had two RBIs in the game along with Cronquist.

                Kayli Cooper picked up the win in the circle, tossing the final five innings in allowing seven runs on eight hits with six strikeouts.

                The second game saw the Cougar defense play well fir the first six innings in allowing just one run. The offense did what they needed early to jump to a 3-0 lead through four innings. WNCC plated a run in the first when Czerpak reached on an error and advanced all the way to third on an overthrow to first. Czerpak scored on the next play on a ground out for the 1-0 lead.

                WNCC added two more runs in the third when Czerpak and Hilgner each singled. Fuentes scored Czerpak with a double and Hilgner scored on a Legere hit that resulted in an error.

                Luna got on the scoreboard in the fifth with one run. In the seventh, the Rough Riders tied the game at 3-3 with one out and then went ahead with four more runs to lead 7-3.

                WNCC managed just five hits in the contest. Fuentes had the only extra base hit with a double.

Game 1
Luna                     023 112 0 – 9 11 2
WNCC                 001 172 x – 11 11 2
WP – Kayli Cooper.
2B – Bailey Legere.
HR – Chayse Cronquist.

Game 2
Luna                     000 010 6 – 7 9 2
WNCC                 102 000 0 – 3 5 3

LP – Jenika Fuentes.

2B – Jenika Fuentes.