The Western Nebraska Community College softball team captured their fifth-straight win as the Cougars topped Lamar Community College in a pair of conference games Tuesday at Volunteer Field.
                Game one saw Sierra Hilgner finish with two hits with three RBIs in the 8-3 win. Game two saw Randi Mitchell get a double and triple and the Cougars pounded out 13 hits in registering the 12-2, five-inning win.
                The win moves WNCC to 15-21 overall and 6-6 in conference play. It was the Cougars fifth straight win as they get ready to entertain Northeastern Junior College on Friday in a key conference slate.
                Mitchell, who went 4-for-5 on the day with two doubles and a triple, said Tuesday’s wins along with the five-game win streak is key as the Cougars continue building for the regional tournament.
                “The team came together these past two conference games to show our want for a spot in the Region 9 tournament,” Mitchell, the sophomore from Greeley, Colorado, said. “It took everyone in these games as a lot of people came in to pinch hit or relieve someone on the field. Everyone showed what it meant to be a part of culture.”
                Tina Horton, the freshman shortstop from Australia who had a big pinch-hit double in game two on Tuesday, said this team is starting to play as a team and gain some confidence.
                “We played like a team and it showed, rallying up hits and stringing them together to score early and on defense just overall being much better than past series,” Horton said. “Winning brings confidence. The winning feeling is great but also remembering that there is a job that needs to be done and getting it done by focusing in and working together as a team.”
                Mitchell added that momentum they are creating is starting to swing to their side.
                “Five straight wins is a huge momentum boost for us,” she said. “We are more than capable of taking these gams we have left in the season. It is important for us going into our series against NJC to remember we have to stay high with our energy. We can’t be complacent. We know the numbers we need to make it to the tournament so right now we are super focused on that but taking it one game at a time.”
                The Cougars are in fourth place in the conference race out of the seven teams as they get ready to take on NJC on Friday at home and then on Sunday in Sterling, Colorado. NJC is in fifth place at 5-7 in the conference.
                “These past few wins have really helped with confidence in a lot of us and that is huge going into more conference games,” Mitchell said. “As one of the returners who didn’t make it to the region tournament last year, I feel very blessed to have a team working so hard to make it. I know all the sophomores have loved playing with the freshman; they work so hard and never stop hustling. The girls we have on this team are the reason for our culture and the why behind wanting to work hard for one another.
                And, if the Cougars want to make the post-season tournament, they need to keep winning as they have 4-game series with McCook, who leads the conference at 10-2, Luna, who is 5-11, and NJC left on the schedule.
                “The key to winning for our team is to remember our culture that we have built and keep strengthening it,” Mitchell said. “Our coaches recruited the best group of girls; they are great softball players and even better people. We do best when we have fun so scoring every inning is something we are working on and getting better at. We have the most fun when we sore every inning and string hits together. Our goal is to win every inning.”
                Tuesday’s wins were definitely a team that is finding ways to put things together on offense and defense. Game one was a team-like win where the Cougars had 11 hits with three doubles, two of which came from Kallie Stocking, a freshman pitcher from West Valley City, Utah.
                Like Mitchell said, the team scored in four of the six innings they batted.
                WNCC started quick as they scored a run in the first inning as Stocking got a 2-out double to score Horton with the first run.
                Lamar came back with two runs on a 2-out, 2-run home run in the second for a 2-1 lead, but it immediately disappeared as the Cougars put up a four-spot in the bottom of the frame.
                The second inning outburst saw WNCC score all their runs with two outs. JoLee Huffaker led off with a single and scored on a 2-out single by Sterling, Colorado, native Ellie Soper to tie the game. WNCC kept going as Horton reached on an error followed by Mitchell ripping a double to score another run. Sierra Hilgner followed with a 2-run single to make it 5-2.
                Lamar added one in the third, but the Cougars answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame as Stocking led off with a double and scored on a ground ball for the 6-3 lead.
                WNCC closed out the scoring in the sixth when Adi Duke and Mitchell each singled. Hilgner came through with run-scoring single for the 7-3 lead. Stocking scored the final run with a sacrifice fly to play Mitchell.
                Four Cougars had two hits each in game one. Mitchell, Stocking, Soper, and Hilgner all had two hits. Stocking had two RBIs while Hilgner and Horton each scored two runs.
                Kayli Cooper picked up the win going two innings in giving up two runs and two hits followed by Stocking who went five innings in scattering four hits and striking out six.
                Game two saw WNCC lead from start to finish scoring in three of the four innings in the five-inning run-ruled contest. WNCC plated two in the first as Mitchell doubled and scored on a Hilgner single. Hilgner later stole home for the 2-0 lead.
                WNCC plated five runs in the second for a 7-0 lead. That frame saw Mykah Klump lead off with a double and scored on a Huffaker single. Mitchell than used her speed to score Huffaker with a triple. Mitchell scored on a Hilgner single. With two outs, Fuentes double in Stocking and then scored herself on an Adi Duke single.
                The Cougars didn’t score in the third, but plated another five runs in the fourth. Huffaker led off with a walk and scored on a Horton double. Horton scored as Tori Travers singled. Stocking then got a double to score Travers. Fuentes got the fourth straight hit with a single to score Stocking to make it 11-2 and Fuentes later scored on a Viktoria Sarkanyova pinch-hit single for the final run.
                The Cougars had 10 batters get at least one hit. Mitchell, Stocking, and Fuentes all had two hits and each scored two runs. The offensive depth from top to bottom saw nine different batters get an RBI in the win.
                Horton said having that type of offensive output with contributions from anyone in the lineup from one to nine is crucial.
                “Keys to the win were us not trying to too much with the pitch and just making good contact on the ball for the line drives to find the grass,” she said. “Hitting one through nine will win ball games, having a tough out every single hitter gets tiring for pitchers and defenders, especially in 7-inning, 2-hour games.”
                Fuentes picked up the win in going four innings with two strikeouts and scattering four hits. Stocking tossed the fifth with one hit and one strikeout.  
 
Game 1
Lamar                 021 000 0 – 3 6 2
WNCC                141 002 x – 8 11 2
WP – Kayli Cooper.
2B – Randi Mitchell, Kallie Stocking 2.
 
Game 2
Lamar                 002 00 – 2 5 6
WNCC                 250 5x – 12 13 0
WP – Jenika Fuentes.
2B – Jenika Fuentes, Kallie Stocking, Mykah Klumpp, Randi Mitchell, Tina Horton.
3B – Randi Mitchell.