MESA, Ariz. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team battled tooth and nail with Mesa Community College on Monday to open their Spring Break trip.
                The Cougars scored four, second-inning runs for an early lead, but allowed Mesa to score single runs in five innings to take the 5-4 win.
                WNCC will continue the Arizona trip with two games on Tuesday when they face Central Arizona College.
                WNCC started the scoring in the second when Catcher Gladysh doubled. Kensei Oikawa then earned a walk. Landon Lockwood scored the first run with a double and then Austin Cooper had a single to score two runs for the 3-0 lead. Cooper scored on a Matt Levesque single for the 4-0 lead.
                Mesa came back with single runs in the second and third and then tied the game with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Mesa took the lead with one run in the seventh with an unearned run on a sacrifice fly.
                WNCC had eight hits in the contest with Lockwood going 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run scored, and an RBI.
                WNCC used three pitchers in the contest. Julian Garza started and went six innings in giving up four runs on seven hits while striking out four. Allard Helms tossed the seventh in allowing a run on no hits and Austin Neeley pitched the eight in allowing just one hit.
 
WNCC                040 000 000 – 4 8 2
Mesa                   011 011 10x – 5 8 2
LP – Allard Helms.
2B – Landon Lockwood 2, Catcher Gladysh.
 
WNCC softball falls to Arizona Western
 
                YUMA, Arizona – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team battled Arizona Western before falling in a doubleheader 7-1 and 8-7.
                The first game saw the Cougars score first before Arizona Western plated seven runs to get the 7-1 win. The second game was a lot closer as WNCC was up early before allowing five late runs in the 8-7 game.
                The second game was one where the Cougars should have won in a game that was a battle with both teams battling back and forth.
                WNCC opened the second game with three runs. Sierra Hilgner led off with a walk followed by Tina Horton getting hit by a pitch. Faythe Lafirenza loaded the bases as she reached on a fielder’s error. After Hilgner scored on a pitch,  Lydia Tibbals singled to score two runs for the 3-0 lead.
                WNCC couldn’t hold the lead as Arizona Western scored three times all with two outs to tie the game at 3-3.
                WNCC went in front 4-3 with a run in the third and then led 6-3 with two in the fifth. The third inning saw JoLee Huffaker and Viktoria Sarkanyova earn walks. Kay’Leigh Blair followed with a single to load the bases. Kallie Stocking singled one run in for the 4-3 lead.
                Huffaker started the fifth with a single and scored on a Sarkanyova double. Sarkanyova came in to score on a ground out for the 6-3 lead.
                Arizona Western responded with four in the fifth with all runs coming with two outs for the 7-6 lead. Arizona Western added a single run in the sixth to lead 8-6. WNCC put together a seventh-inning rally. Tibbals started things with a single. Blair then reached after getting hit by a pitch. Kayli Cooper scored Tibbals with a single but WNCC left the tying run on third.
                WNCC was led at the plate from Tibbals with two singled with two RBIs and a run scored. Sarkanyova had the only extra base hit with a double.
                WNCC used three pitchers. Kallie Stocking started and went 4.2 innings in allowing three hits, five runs and striking out two. Jenika Fuentes went a third of an inning allowing four hits and two runs. Cooper went one inning in giving up two hits and a run with a strikeout.
                The first game was a battle with the difference being Arizona Western scoring five, fourth-inning runs. Other than that, the game was a well-played.
                WNCC scored first in the third when Tori Travers led off with a double and scored on a Ellie Soper ground out. WNCC couldn’t hold the lead as Arizona Western knotted the score with a run in the third and then plated five in the fifth for the 6-1 lead.
                WNCC finished with seven hits in the opener. Horton and Huffaker led the way with two hits each, while Travers had the only run of the game.
                WNCC will continue the Arizona trip with a pair of games on Tuesday when they face Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona.
 
Game 1
WNCC                                001 000 0 – 1 7 6
Arizona Western           001 501 x – 7 8 0
LP – Kayli Cooper.
2B – Tori Travers.
 
Game 2
WNCC                                 301 020 1 – 7 7 0
Arizona Western           300 041 x – 8 9 2
LP – Jenika Fuentes.
2B – Viktoria Sarkanyova.