TRINIDAD, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball earned a split with Trinidad State College Saturday in Empire Conference action in dramatic fashion to move to 4-2 in conference play.
The Cougars gave up eight, third-inning runs in game one to fall 10-6. The second game saw the Cougars' Vaughn Wilson set a new individual record when he recorded five singles while going 5-for-5 at the plate with three runs scored in the 18-7 win. The previous mark was four singles set by nine different batters, the last time by Ty McAninch on February 29, 2020.
The two teams will be back in action Sunday for another doubleheader at Trinidad.
The second game saw the Cougars control the game from the first inning when WNCC plated five first-inning runs and then eight in the second inning.
Wilson started the game with a single followed by Will Harbison reaching on an error. Both runners scored on a Harrison Hart grounder that resulted in an error. With two outs, Hart scores the third run and then Daniel Chavez makes it 5-0 with a 2-run home run.
The Cougars followed with eight runs in the second inning on six hits and two errors along with a couple walks. The big hits included a Ty Beutner lead-off double followed by a Wilson single. WNCC made it 9-0 on a Payton Denny single to score two runs with no outs.
After a Chavez single to put two on, Jude Russell hammered a 3-run home run for the 13-0 lead.
Trinidad game back with four in the third to make it 13-4, but the Cougars added two in the fourth for a 15-4 lead. Trinidad added three more runs in the fifth to make it 15-7. WNCC put the game away with three in the seventh for an 18-7 lead. Ren Sato started things with a triple and scored on a Chavez single. Three straight singles later, including Wilson's fifth single of the game, scored the 18th run.
WNCC finished with 16 hits in the contest with just four going for extra base hits. Wilson led the way with his 5-for-5 performance. Chavez tallied three hits with a home run, four RBIs, and three runs scored. Harbison, Russell, and Beutner all tallied two hits in the contest. Chavez had a home run with four RBIs and three runs scored. Russell tallied had a home run with four RBIs and two runs scored, while Harbison had two runs scored and an RBI.
Allard Helms, who was named Region IX Pitcher of the Week earlier in the week, tossed a strong contest, going five innings in scattering nine hits, allowing seven runs, walking two, and striking out a season-high eight batters. Peyton Margheim finished off the game with two innings of work with giving up just one hit.
The first game saw the Cougars plate one in the first when Wilson reached on an error and scored on a Harbison single for the 1-0 lead.
Trinidad came back with two in the second before WNCC tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the third when Harbison had a solo home run. Trinidad followed with eight runs in the bottom of the frame for the 10-2 lead.
WNCC came right back with four in the fourth to make it a 10-6 lead. The big hits in the fourth included a Dakota Alber double that made it 10-5 after a couple runs scored on passed balls.
The Cougars, however were shut out the next three innings to fall in the game.
WNCC finished with eight hits in the contest, led by Harbison with three hits. Harbison had a home run with two RBIs.
Jack McCrea suffered the loss, going 2 2/3 innings in allowing six hits, 10 runs in which two were earned, and striking out two. Carter Reisig finished off the game with a strong pitching performance, going 3 1/3 innings in allowing four hits and striking out five.
Game 1
WNCC 101 400 0 – 6 8 2
Trinidad 028 000 x – 10 10 2
LP – Jack McCrea.
2B – Dakota Alber.
HR – Will Harbison.
Game 2
WNCC 580 200 3 – 18 16 0
Trinidad 004 030 0 – 7 10 5
WP – Allard Helms.
2B – Ty Beutner.
3B – Ren Sato.
HR – Daniel Chavez, Jude Russell.