LAS VEGAS, N.M. -- The Western Nebraska Community College Cougar baseball split with Luna Community College in an Empire Conference matchup on Saturday. The Cougars won the first 7-0 and was shutout in the second 7-0.
The first game saw WNCC get most of their runs across in the first inning, scoring six of their seven.
Max Adam got it going for the Cougars with an opening triple and was brought in by a Jack Jones single.
Eli Hernandez brought in Jones on a double, Joe Kinneberg singled to put runners on first and second for Drew Book. Book doubled to right field, bringing in Hernandez for a 3-0 lead.
With runners on second and third, Dillon Fabricus singled to score both. Adam brought in the final run of the inning for the Cougars with a two-out single.
The top of the second saw Jordan Rollins start with a walk before Hernandez brought Rollins in for the 7-0 lead.
WNCC outhit Luna 10-8. Adam went 2-for-2 with a triple, run scored, walk and an RBI while Hernandez finished 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run.
Dawson Hurford pitched the complete game, giving up eight hits, a walk and recorded five strikeouts.
The second game of the doubleheader went in a different direction. Neither team was able to get a run across until the bottom of the third when Luna scored on two straight hits to lead 2-0.
In the fourth, Rollins hit a double and advanced to third on the ground out by Dalton Nelson before Book was hit by a pitch, putting Cougars on the corners. Unfortunately, WNCC couldn't get anything across.
Luna got two more runs across on an error in the bottom of the frame.
The Cougars also had runners on the corners in the sixth inning but couldn't do anything with it. Luna scored two more runs to lead 6-0 in the bottom of the frame and with two outs, loaded the bases.
With the bases loaded, Luna would get one more to lead 7-0 before popping out to WNCC's Joseph Toubeaux to end the inning.
Rollins went 1-for-2 with a double and a walk as Sergio Tarango came in for Kinneberg in the fifth inning, finishing 1-for-1.
Corbin Kirk pitched five innings, scattering five hits, four runs (one earned), one walk while striking out nine. Wyatt Zsidisin pitched the final inning, giving up two hits, three runs (none earned) and three walks.
The Cougars will finish the series against Luna Community College on Sunday with a doubleheader.
Game 1
WNCC 610 000 0 -- 7 10 1
Luna 000 000 0 -- 0 8 1
WP- Dawson Hurford
2B - Drew Book, Eli Hernandez
3B - Max Adam
Game 2
WNCC 000 000 0 -- 0 4 4
Luna 002 203 x -- 7 7 0
LP- Corbin Kirk
2B - Jordan Rollins
Had help in writing the story by Star-Herald Sports Editor Bryanna Winner.