In the first games of Easter weekend on Friday, the Western Nebraska Community College baseball team hosted the Northeastern Junior College Plainsmen in Empire Conference action, splitting the doubleheader.
The first game saw NJC win 5-3 in eight innings as the Cougars tied the game with two in the seventh, only to watch the Plainsmen score two in the eighth for the win.
The second game saw the Cougars score eight runs in the final three inning, which allowed WNCC to earn the 10-2 win.
"It feels like that first game out, we're not really on our toes, we're sitting back on our heels but that second game, it showed our bats were there and we were fired up," pitcher Corbin Kirk said.
The Cougars played catchup for most of the first game as the Plainsmen had a 2-1 lead after the second inning until they scored another in the top of the seventh to lead 3-1.
WNCC made a comeback in the bottom of the seventh when Max Adam and Jack Jones each walked. Both scored on a one-out triple by Eli Hernandez to tie the game. The Cougars came close to winning the game in the seventh, but Hernandez was caught stealing home and that went into extra innings.
In extra innings, NJC had two doubles and an error which was enough to score two runs. WNCC couldn't get anything going in the eighth to give the Plainsmen the win.
NJC outhit the Cougars 9-8 in the contest. Johnson was the only Cougar with more than one hit when he had two singles. Hernandez was the only Cougar with an extra base hit with that triple.
The second game was a little different result and it was the offense that really stepped up. The Cougars outhit NJC 15-5, including the only home run for either team by Jones.
Jones, who went 0-for-3 in game one, had the 2-run home run over the right-center field fence in the fifth inning. Jones finished the game 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs.
Four other Cougars had multi-hit games as Ethan Johnson went 3-for-3 and Dalton Nelson, Quinn McCafferty and Dillon Fabricus each had two hits apiece. Fabricus had three RBIs as Nelson had two. Dylan Howard also had an RBI.
WNCC and NJC were tied at 1-1 after two innings. The Cougars forged in front when they scored one run in the third when Fabricus singled to score Dillon Nelson.
The Cougars score three times in the bottom of the fourth to go up 5-1. Johnson and Jordan Rollins led off the inning by drawing walks and that both scored on a single by Jones.
NJC added one in the fifth to cut the lead to 5-2, but the Cougars' offense stayed hot, adding two more in the fifth and three in the sixth.
The fifth saw Johnson reach on a double and then Jones belted a two-out home run to make the score 7-2.
The sixth saw the Cougars almost get the runs to call the game via the run rule. WNCC loaded the bases as Nelson and McCafferty each walked while Drew Book had a single. Nelson and Book came in to score on a Fabricus single and McCafferty scored on a Howard single. WNCC loaded the bases with no outs and that is when the NJC defense turned a triple play to get out of the inning and force the seventh inning.
NJC didn't do anything in the seventh as reliever Brian Bruxvoort got all three Plainsmen swinging on third strikes to give WNCC the win.
Kirk started the game, pitching five innings and giving up four hits, two runs and two walks while having seven strikeouts. Bruxvoort tossed the final two innings to get the hold, giving up one hit and recording five strikeouts.
The two teams will face off once more on Saturday with first pitch at 1 p.m. at Cleveland Field in one, 9-inning contest.
Game 1
NJC 020 000 12 -- 5 9 2
WNCC 010 000 20 – 3 8 4
LP – Owen Vanthillo.
3B -- Eli Hernandez.
Game 2
NJC 010 010 0 -- 2 5 1
WNCC 101 323 x – 1015 1
WP – Corbin Kirk.
2B -- Ethan Johnson 2.
3B -- Eli Hernandez.
HR -- Jack Jones.