WNCC baseball team drop doubleheader to New Mexico JC

                HOBBS, N.M. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team dropped a doubleheader to New Mexico Junior College on Friday in contrasting contests.

                In the first game, the Cougars lost 13-3 in five innings. The second game was a much tighter game as WNCC fought back to get to within one at 7-6 before falling in nine innings 11-7.

                The second game showed plenty in the fight the Cougars have in coming back. New Mexico JC score two in the first and second for a 4-0 lead. WNCC came roaring back with three in the third to make it 4-3.

                WNCC put two runners on and then, with two outs, Catcher Gladysh singled in Dakota Alber with the first run.  Harrison Hart and Will Harbison followed with singles to plate two more runs.

                New Mexico Junior College responded with three in the bottom of the third to make it 7-3. WNCC kept the offense going as they scored twice in the fourth and once in the fifth to make it a 7-5 game.

                The fourth inning saw Alber start things with a 2-out single. Chavez then had a 2-run home run to make it 7-5.

                The fifth inning saw Harbison blast a solo home run to make it 7-6. New Mexico answer with two in the bottom of the fifth for a 9-6 lead. The Cougars added one more in the sixth as Ty Beutner led off with a double and scored on a Chavez single.

                That was all the scoring for the Cougars as New Mexico added two insurance runs in the eighth for the 11-7 win.

                WNCC had 12 hits in the contest, led Chavez and Harbison with three hits each. Chavez had a home run with three RBIs and two runs scored, while Harbison had a home run.

                Hart finished with two hits with a double.

                The first game saw WNCC actually hold a 1-0 lead after one inning. That saw Vaughn Wilson and Gladysh each get a single and Wilson scored on a Hart single. WNCC couldn’t get the other two runners in and had to settle for the 1-0 lead.

The second inning is where New Mexico put some distance in from WNCC with seven runs for a 7-1 lead. The Thunderbirds followed with five in the fourth for a 12-1 lead. The Cougars’ plated two more in the fifth to keep the game going.

Austin Cooper started the fifth frame with a walk. Cooper then came in to score on a Wilson triple. That was all they could do as the next three got out.

New Mexico Junior College ended the game on the 10-run run as New Mexico’s J. battles ends the game on a walk-off home run.

                WNCC had six hits in the contest, led by Ren Sato with two hits, both singles, and Wilson with two hits including a triple and two runs scored.

                WNCC will have two more games with New Mexico Junior College on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m.    

Game 1
WNCC                100 02 – 3 6 0

New Mexico    070 51 – 13 10 0

LP – Arthur Saumande.

3B – Vaughn Wilson.

Game 2

WNCC                003 211 000 – 7 12 1

NMJC                   223 020 02x – 11 13 2

LP Marshall Forsyth.

2B – Harrison Hart, Ty Beutner.

HR – Daniel Chavez, Will Harbison.