Harrison Hart delivered two walk-off home runs to help the Western Nebraska Community College baseball team claim an Empire Conference sweep over Otero College on Sunday at Cleveland Field.
WNCC got a strong pitching performance from Arthur Saumande and Nelson Martinez in game one as the two pitchers combined for seven strikeouts and just two hits for the 10-0 win.
Game two saw the Cougars score eight times in the seventh inning of the nine-inning contest, capped by Hart's three-run walk-off home run to end the game 13-3 via the run rule.
WNCC won three of four games against Otero over the weekend. The Cougars are now 18-25 overall and 10-6 in conference play. WNCC is in third place in the conference behind Northeastern Junior College and McCook Community College, both of whom are 13-3 in conference play.
Hart, who had a solo walk-off to end the first game and then the 3-run blast in the second game, said the team played well today all the way around.
"I thought we played really well. First game, obviously, we shut them out and the pitching was really good, and the hitters did their job," Hart, the Gretna native, said. "Then the second game we kind of came out a little flat at the beginning. Then, towards the middle of the game, we got some runs and walked it off."
Hart said he has had walk-off hits before, but never two walk-off home runs in the same day. In fact, the Cougars' three wins this weekend were all walk-off victories. Jude Russell had a walk-off home run in game two on Saturday.
"I've had a couple walk-offs, but not back-to-back games," Hart said. "Jude hit a walk-off in our second game, so all of our wins have been off walk-off home runs."
That first game was a complete team effort as the Cougars had six extra-base hits out of their 12 total hits. Catcher Gladysh had the hot bat, going 3-for-4 with a double, two home runs, five RBIs, and two runs scored.
Hart, Vaughn Wilson, and Ty Beutner all had two hits in the win.
While the bats were part of the story in the wins, the pitching was eye-popping. Saumande went five innings with just one hit and five strikeouts while walking five in game one. To show Saumande's toughness on the mound, the freshman from France walked the bases loaded in the first, but did not allow the Rattlers to record a hit to score a run.
Shutting down that first-inning threat carried over through the rest of the game on the defensive end. Offensively, the Cougars started scoring in the third with three runs. Beutner started the frame with a single and scored on a Wilson double. Gladysh made it 3-0 when he launched a towering two-run home run.
The Cougars added a single run in the fourth for a 4-0 lead and then made it 6-0 in the fifth when Jase Satterfield doubled home Hart.
The sixth inning saw WNCC end the game via the run rule when Beutner led off with a single followed by a walk from Wilson. Gladysh launched his second home run of the game, a three-run shot to make it 9-0. Hart then finished the game with a no-doubt solo home run for the 10-0 win.
The second game saw the Cougars start slow, trailing 2-0 after two innings. It was the third inning when the Cougar bats started to come alive. With two outs in the third, Hart earned a walk followed by Will Harbison collecting a single. Cooper Wilson then found the gap for a triple to score two to tie the game 2-2.
WNCC went up 5-2 with three runs in the fifth. Gladysh started the frame with a double and scored on a Harbison double. Moments later, Harbison came in to score on a Cooper Wilson single. Wilson scored the third run on a Garrison Burns sacrifice fly.
Otero scored one in the seventh to make it 5-3. WNCC came through in a major way in the seventh. With one out, the Cougars had five straight singles and then a 2-run double by Dakota Alber for a 10-3 lead. After Gladysh was hit by a pitch to put two on, Hart stepped to the plate and the clean-up hitter took the first pitch and sent it skyrocketing over the fence for the walk-off 3-run home run and the game.
WNCC finished with 16 hits in the contest, including six extra-base hits. Cooper Wilson led the way with a 4-for-4 plate appearance with a double, triple, two runs scored, and three RBIs.
Burns went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored, while Harbison had two hits with a double, three RBIs, and two runs scored. Hart had just one hit but had three RBIs and two runs scored.
Marshall Forsyth picked up the win on the mound, going five innings while scattering seven hits, allowing two runs and striking out four. Trevor Beutner finished off the game with two innings pitched, allowing two hits, one run, and striking out three.
WNCC will be back in action this weekend with a four-game series against Southeast Community College in Beatrice. Hart, who transferred to WNCC from Southeast this season, said they must prepare for Southeast and play like they did this weekend.
"You just have to flush this series and prepare for a new opponent," Hart said. "We hope the pitching is just as strong as what they did today, and the hitters continue to find ways to win."
Game 1
Otero 000 000 – 0 2 1
WNCC 003 124 – 10 12 0
WP – Arthur Saumande.
2B – Catcher Gladysh, Jase Satterfield, Vaughn Wilson.
HR – Catcher Gladysh 2, Harrison Hart.
Game 2
Otero 110 000 1 – 3 9 0
WNCC 002 030 8 – 13 16 2
WP – Marshall Forsyth.
2B – Catcher Gladysh, Cooper Wilson, Dakota Alber, Will Harbison.
3B – Cooper Wilson.
HR – Harrison Hart.