The Western Nebraska Community College and Northeastern Junior College softball teams showed plenty of offense in the first game of a doubleheader on Sunday in Sterling, Colorado.

                The two teams combined for 36 runs and 42 hits as the Plainswomen scored 10 times in the fourth and seven runs in the sixth to capture a 21-15 win. WNCC scored runs in six of the seven innings, including leading 12-4 at one time.

                Victoria Wharton also broke a WNCC record in the contest as the sophomore outfielder went 5-for-5 with five singles to break the record of most singles in a contest. The previous record was four, held by 19 other players, including Wharton, who had four singles in a game last season twice. Her five hits in a game is second in the record book, one shy of the record of six hits in a game.

                WNCC led 3-2 in the second game before NJC plated five runs in the fourth on their way to the 9-3 victory.

               The first game saw WNCC plate four runs in the opening at bat as Wharton and Arianah Plorin each singled. Wharton would score the first run by stealing home and Plorin would later score on an error for a 2-0 lead. Chloe Cronquist and DemiRae Woolsey scored on a single by Morgan Dustin for the 4-0 lead.

                NJC plated one in the bottom of the first, but the Cougars added three in the second and three in the third to lead 10-1. The second inning saw Devyn Priselac and Wharton lead off with singles. Plorin then was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Cronquist doubled to score two runs and then Baylie Krueger scored a run after reaching on an error.

                The third innings saw the speedy Priselac reach on a bunt single followed by Wharton with her third single of the game. Priselac scored on a Plorin fly ball and Wharton scored on a sacrifice fly by Woolsey. Plorin scored the third run on a single by Krueger for the 10-1 lead.

                NJC came back with three in the third to cut the Cougar lead to 10-3. However, WNCC kept the offense going with two in the fourth. Sianna Lewis led off with a single and Priselac reached on an error. Wharton singled in one run and Priselac scored on a ground out for the 12-3 lead.

                NJC took their first lead of the game with 10 runs in the bottom of the fourth on four home runs to lead 14-12. WNCC came right back to tie the game with two in the fifth on back-to-back 2-out solo home runs by Dustin and Lewis to tie the game at 14-14.

                WNCC retook the lead in the sixth with one run at 15-14 when Wharton and Plorin singled. Plorin would score on a Cronquist single.

                NJC came back with seven runs in the sixth all with two outs to take the 21-15 lead. WNCC did mount a comeback in the seventh as the Cougars loaded the bases but couldn't get any runs home.

                Both teams had plenty of offense in the opening game. Besides Wharton's five singles, she also had three runs scored and three stolen bases. Lewis went 4-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored, while Cronquist and Dustin each had three hits. Cronquist had a double with three RBIs and two runs scored, whole Dustin had a home run with three RBIs and a run scored.

                Plorin and Priselac each had two hits. Plorin had three runs scored, a RBI, and two stolen bases, while Priselac had two singles with three runs scored and two stolen bases.

                The second game saw NJC score twice in the in the first inning. WNCC came back to take a 3-2 lead with three in the fourth. Cronquist and Dustin each singled. Plorin scored one with one-out single. Dustin scored on a Lewis grounder that resulted in an error and Plorin came in to score on a Krueger single.

                NJC answered with five in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the fifth for a 9-3 lead.

                WNCC was outhit in the contest 16-6. Krueger led the offense with a 2-for-3 contest with an RBI. The other batters with a single included Wharton, Cronquist, Dustin, and Plorin.

                The two teams will wrap up the 5-game series with a doubleheader on Monday in Sterling, Colorado. WNCC will then hit the road for a 5-game series in Las Vegas, New Mexico, when they face Luna Community College. WNCC will then return home for a rescheduled doubleheader against Otero Junior College on Tuesday, April 25.

Game 1
WNCC   433 221 0 – 15 21 7
NJC        103 (10)07 x – 21 21 6
LP – Caley Leslie.
2B – Chloe Cronquist.
HR – Morgan Dustin, Sianna Lewis.

Game 2
WNCC   000 300 0 – 3 6 2
NJC        200 520 x – 9 16 3
LP – DesaRae Woolsey.