ROSWELL, N.M. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team opened the season with a split with New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, New Mexico, on Saturday.

                The first game saw the Cougars get just one hit as New Mexico Military earned the 3-0 win in the team's season opener.

                The second game was a totally different plate appearance for the Cougars as they finished with 11 hits including two doubles by Drew Book and a home run by Jack Jones to get the 7-3 win.

                WNCC took control early in game two, scoring two in the second inning. Joe Kinneberg and Eli Hernandez led off with singles and Book doubled to score both runners for the 2-0 lead.

                New Mexico Military answered in the bottom of the second with a single run before tying the game at 2-2 with another run in the fourth.

                WNCC retook the lead at 4-2 with two in the sixth. Jones and Kinneberg each singled and both scored on a Book ground ball that went resulted in a fielding error.

                WNCC added two more in the seventh to go up 6-2. M. Adam earned a walk and Jones scored two runs by taking the second pitch for a 2-run home run over the rightfield fence.

                WNCC went up 7-2 with a run in the eighth. Hernandez singled and scored on Book's second double of the game.

                New Mexico Military answered with a single run in the bottom of the eighth.

                Brian Bruxvroot then came into the game in the ninth and shut down the New Mexico Military hitters for the Cougars' first win of the game and pick up the save for Cougar starter Harold Baez.

                Baez went five strong innings in scattering four hits and allowing two runs. Baez struck out two.

                Noah Baumann pitched three innings in scattering two hits and allowing a run while striking out four.

                Offensively, the Cougars managed 12 hits. Jones paced the Cougars with a 4-for-5 performance with a home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored. Kinneberg, Hernandez, and Book each had two hits. Book had two doubles with three RBIs, while Hernandez and Kinneberg each scored two runs runs.

                The second game was a much better performance over the first game where the Cougars only hit of the game came in the third inning from a double by Hernandez.

                After that, New Mexico Military scored all their runs in the third inning for a 3-0 lead.

                WNCC had a couple of other baserunners in the game. The fourth inning saw Jones lead off with a walk, but was stranded at second base.

                The Cougars had a big chance to score runs in the sixth inning when WNCC loaded the bases with two outs, but couldn't get a hit to bring in a run.

                The seventh inning saw Dalton Nelson earn a walk, but that was all the offense they could get.

                Both Cougar pitchers pitched well in combining on allowing just four hits. Dawson Hurford went four innings in allowing three runs and three hits while striking out one. Owen Vantillo tossed the final two innings in allowing a hit with a strikeout.

                Both teams will be back in action Sunday for another doubleheader in Roswell, New Mexico.       

Game 1

WNCC                   000 000 0 – 0 1 1

NM Military        003 000 x – 3 4 0

LP – Dawson Hurford.

Game 2

WNCC                   020 002 210 -- 7 12 0

NM Military        010 100 010 -- 3 6 2

WP – Harold Baez; S – Brian Bruxvoort.

2B – Drew Book 2.

HR – Jack Jones.