It was an hopping exciting game at Cleveland Field as the Western Nebraska Community College and McCook Community College baseball teams needed extra innings in deciding the Region IX Empire Conference tilt Saturday afternoon.
Shintaro Inoue hammered two home runs for the Cougars, but McCook scored three, 10th-inning runs to escape Scottsbluff with a 7-5 victory.
WNCC coach Mike Jones said it was a good baseball game and his team missed plenty of scoring opportunities in the game.
"It was a good baseball game. We had some scoring opportunities early in the game that we didn't capitalize on," Jones said. "We had a close ball game. Eli (Hernandez) did a great job on the mound for the start and then from the bullpen I thought we did OK. We just ran out of gas at the end."
A big key in the heart-breaking loss for the Cougars is they couldn't get that one hit to break the game open or score the winning run that they needed.
"We had a bunch of guys on base and had our opportunities for sure," Jones said. "Shintaro had a really good game for us and then they intentionally walk him at the end to attack our other guys. That is part of the game."
The game started with McCook scoring twice in the first for a 2-0 lead. WNCC answered in the first as starting pitcher Eli Hernandez reached on an error. Inoue then homered to right field to tie the game. Two batters later, Drew Book skyrocketed a solo shot to put WNCC up 3-2.
McCook tied the game with a single run in the third.
WNCC retook the lead in the seventh when Inoue delivered his second home run of the game with a 2-out shot over the rightfield fence for the 4-3 lead. After the home run, WNCC loaded the bases with two outs on a single by Bryce Peterson, a double by Book, and Max Adam getting hit by a pitch, but WNCC couldn't score.
McCook tied the game with a run in the eighth on a 2-out double that plated one run.
The Cougars had a chance for a ninth-inning walk-off win as Inoue was walked on four pitches. With two outs, Adam delivered a single to put runners on the corners, but that was it.
The 10th-inning saw McCook load the bases with two singles and a walk. Michael Quick then delivered a single to score two and the third run came in on an Ethan Murdoch double.
WNCC came right back in the 10th as Jacob Jackson and Ashton Ross earned back-to-back walks. Hernandez then singles to score one run. Inoue was then intentionally walked to load the bases but WNCC couldn't get the base hit to plate the tying or winning run.
The two teams finished with a combined 23 hits with McCook outhitting WNCC 12-11. The Cougars had several players with multiple hits. Book led the way with a 3-for-4 day with a home run, a run scored, and an RBI.
Inoue and Petrson each had two hits. Inoue had two home runs with three RBIs, two runs scored, and he was walked three times. Peterson had two singles.
WNCC will be back in action Tuesday and Wednesday when they travel to Beatrice to face Southeast Community College in Empire Conference action.
Jones said they have a couple days to rest up before they hit the road for early-in-the-week games with Southeast followed by games with Northeastern Junior College on Friday and Sunday.
"We go back at it Tuesday and Wednesday next week and then Friday and Sunday," he said. "Things are not going to get any easier. We have to keep battling and keep getting better."
McCook 201 000 010 3 – 7 12 1
WNCC 300 000 100 1 – 5 11 1
2B – Ethan Johnson, Drew Book.
HR – Shintaro Inoue 2, Drew Book.