LAMAR, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team earned a split with Lamar Community College in Empire Conference action Saturday afternoon in Lamar, Colorado.

                WNCC won the opener behind a strong pitching performance from Arthur Saumande and a big four-run, fifth inning to claim the 8-4 win.

                The second contest saw the Cougars' offense come alive even more, hammering four home runs with 15 total hits. However, the Cougars fell to Lamar on a walk-off sacrifice fly in the ninth to lose 14-13.

                WNCC falls to 15-24 overall and to 7-5 in conference play. The Cougars are still third in conference standings behind Northeastern Junior College (10-2) and McCook Community College (9-3).

                The Cougars will be back in action Friday and Saturday when Otero College comes to Cougar Palace for a 4-game series. Otero is in fourth in the conference standings at 6-6 and 10-22 overall. Otero earned a split of games with Trinidad over the weekend, winning 20-10 and 4-3, while falling 7-6 and 21-17.

                WNCC had a nice all-around game in the opener. Both teams scored three runs in the first inning and the two teams added single runs in the third. After the third inning, The Cougars' defense settled in and shut down the Runnin' Lopes offense, while scoring four in the fifth to get the 8-4 win.

                The first inning saw WNCC score the first run on a Will Harbison run-scoring single. The next two runs came in on a base-loaded walk and a fielding error.

                WNCC single run in the third game on a Garrison Burns 2-out single for the 4-3 lead. Lamar tied it in the bottom of the frame at 4-4.

                The fifth saw Harbison lead things off with a solo home run. Jack Sughhroue followed by getting hit by a pitch and scored on a Burns double. Vaughn Wilson finished off the scoring with a 2-run home run.

                WNCC outhit Lamar 8-6. Gladysh, Harbison, and Burns all had two hits for the Cougars. Burns, Harbison, and Vaughn Wilson all had two RBIs while eight players scored a run for the Cougars.

                Saumande went five strong innings in scattering six hits, allowing four runs and striking out six. Nelson Martinez got the save, tossing the final two innings in walking two and striking out two.

                The second contest was a wild one and one the Cougars should have won, but didn't because of Lamar's ninth-inning heroics.

                The Cougars started strong with two runs in the first on solo home runs by Daniel Chavez and Harrison Hart. Lamar answered with three in the bottom of the frame. The Cougars tied the game with a single run in the third on a Vaughn Wilson solo home run. Lamar came back with five in the third and two in the fifth to take a 10-3 lead.

                The Cougars went back in front with four in the sixth and six in the seventh to lead 13-11. WNCC scored the four runs in the sixth with two outs. WNCC loaded the bases and the first run was forced in after Catcher Gladysh walked. Hart singled in two runs  followed by Harbison getting a run-scoring single.

                Lamar scored one in the sixth for the 11-7 lead. WNCC came right back to score six in the seventh. Jude Russell led off with a single, followed by Ismael Camara earning a walk. Cooper Wilson doubled home two runs and he came in to score on a Vaughn Wilson single. WNCC tied the game at 11 when Hart singled in Vaughn Wilson and then Gladysh and Hart each scored on a Dakota Alber double for the 13-11 lead.

                WNCC took a 13-11 lead into the ninth only to watch Lamar score three times on tying the game on a bases-loaded walk and then winning the game on a walk-off sacrifice fly that scored the final run.

                WNCC outhit Lamar 15-11 with three doubles and three home runs. Hart led the way with a 4-for-5 performance with four RBIs, two runs scored, a double, and a home run. Vaughn Wilson, Cooper Wilson, and Ismael Camara all ahd two hits. Cooper Wilson had a double with two RBIs and two runs scored, his brother Vaughn had a home run with two runs scored and an RBI, while Camara had two runs scored.

                WNCC utilized eight pitchers in the contest, where they combined for 10 strikeouts while walking nine and giving up 14 runs. Lamar utilized six pitchers as they allowed 15 hits, walked six, and struck out nine.

Game 1
WNCC                301 040 0 – 8 8 1
Lamar                 301 000 0 – 4 6 1
WP – Arthur Saumande; S – Nelson Martinez.
2B -- Catcher Gladysh, Garrison Burns.
HR -- Vaughn Wilson, Will Harbison.

Game 2
WNCC                201 004 600 – 13 15 4
Lamar                 305 021 003 – 14 11 1
2B – Cooper Wilson, Dakota Alber, Harrison Hart.
HR – Daniel Chavez, Harrison Hart, Vaughn Wilson.