MCCOOK -- The Western Nebraska Community College softball team continued play in Region IX pod play on Friday in McCook, and the team split a pair of contests.

                  The first game saw WNCC score eight, first-inning runs in downing Trinidad State College 10-2 behind strong pitching from Katie McMillan.

                  The second saw the Cougars mount a furious late-inning comeback against Lamar Community College before falling 9-8.

                  The third day of the Region IX Pod on Saturday was postponed because of weather. WNCC was slated to play McCook Community College and Northeastern Junior College, but those games will be made up at a later date.

                  The first game saw the Cougars take down the Trojans, a team that won the Region IX Tournament last year as they outhit the Trojans 14-4.

                  McMillan pitched a complete game giving up two runs, two walks, four hits, and striking out four.

                  Complimenting McMillan was an aggressive offensive attack where the majority of the runs came in the first inning as the Cougars scored eight of their 10 runs.

                  Macyn Hartman singled to start WNCC off before Mackenzie Bakel got hit by a pitch. Lexi Butterfield loaded up the bases with a line drive single to left field. The first run came from Bella Coffman, who got hit by a pitch before Erin Hanafin brought two more runners in on a single to center field, bringing the score to 3-1 in the bottom of the first.

                  WNCC still had the bases loaded when Emma Schweitzer walked. DemiRae Woolsey cleared the bases on a triple to extend the lead to 6-1. Woolsey scored two batters later on a single from Victoria Wharton. Bakel's next at-bat gave WNCC their final tally of the inning when she grounded out to the second baseman, scoring Wharton.

                  With the score 8-1 in the bottom of the second, the Cougars had two on base when Schweitzer reached on an error to score Coffman.

                  Hanafin scored the final run of the game for the Cougars on a Bailey Blanchard single to the shortstop.

                  Hanafin went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs as Wharton went 2-for-2 with one RBI and one run.

                  Game two saw WNCC come close to a comeback in a 9-8 loss to the Runnin' Lopes. The teams both had 10 hits but the difference in the game was the four errors committed by the Cougars versus the two by the Runnin' Lopes.  

                  The Cougars scored one in the second and fourth, two in the sixth, and four in the final inning.

                  Down 9-4 with runners on second and third, Hanafin takes the fifth pitch of her at-bat and hits a 3-run homerun to center field.

                  Hanafin led WNCC, going 3-for-4 with a triple and home run, three RBIs and scored three runs. The Cougars also saw Butterfield and Bella Mumford hit doubles and Blanchard hit a triple.

                  Lexi Parker got the loss after giving up four hits, six runs (two earned), and two walks in one inning of work. Butterfield pitched the final five innings, giving up six hits and three runs while striking out three.

                  WNCC, 5-11, will be back in action March 11 and 12 when they travel to face Lamar Community College. The Cougars will then continue on south for a Spring Break trip to eastern Texas March 14-19. WNCC will have their first home games of the year March 26-27 when Trinidad State comes to Volunteer Field.

Game 1

Trinidad                100 01 — 2 4 2

WNCC                   820 0 – 10 11 1

WP - Katie McMillan

3B - DemiRae Woolsey

Game 2

WNCC   010 102 4 — 8 10 4

Lamar    240 030 x — 9 10 2

LP - Lexi Parker

2B - Lexi Butterfield, Bella Mumford

3B - Bailey Blanchard, Erin Hanafin

HR - Erin Hanafin