The Western Nebraska Community College and Dawson Community College softball teams combined for 45 runs in two games as each took a game on Saturday at Volunteer Field.

                In the first game, Dawson scored three, seventh-inning runs to claim the 12-10 after the Cougars came back from an 8-0 deficit to lead 10-9 going into the seventh.

                The second game saw WNCC score seven times in the first and then win the game on a walk-off, bases loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh to claim the 12-11 win.

                The two teams will be back in action Sunday with another doubleheader at Volunteer Field in Scottsbluff beginning at 12 noon.

                Tina Horton, the sophomore shortstop from Australia, who had a 2-run home run in the fifth and then earned the walk to score the winning run said the team played hard on the day.

                "I think definitely the first game there was some problems, but the second game I think we had some ups and downs, but it showed that we wanted it more than they did and we went out and won that game. It was a fun game," Horton, who had four RBIs in the game two win.

                The big key in game two was how the team used singles and doubles early and then then went to a small-ball approach late to manufacture some runs.

                "I think that after we had one bunt, we just noticed that they weren't adjusting to it," Horton said. "So, we made the decision that if they're not going to adjust to anything that we're doing, we're just going to keep doing it until they make an adjustment. I think this team is very versatile. It's a very fun team to play on."

                Game two was a wild one to say the least. Dawson scored first with two in the first. WNCC answered with seven runs in the bottom of the first inning. Horton led off the game with a double and scored on a Tori Travers single. WNCC loaded the bases and Jasmine Castro had a 2-run single to put WNCC up 3-2. WNCC loaded the bases and scored another run when Ellie Soper walked to force in another run. Hayley Blumenschein followed with a single to plate two more runs and then Soper scored on a sacrifice fly for the 7-2 lead.

                Dawson followed with three runs in the second and six in the third for an 11-7 lead. WNCC added two in the fifth to make it 11-9. Blumenschein reached base on an error and then Horton ripped a home run that hit the scoreboard for two runs.

                WNCC had a prime opportunity in the sixth to tie or take the lead as they loaded the bases after three small slap singles or bunts that loaded the bases. The Cougars, however, left the bases juiced.

                It came down to the seventh inning for the Cougars. Migliaccio led off by bunting and reaching on an error that resulted her taking third base. Gracie Holm scored Migliaccio with a single to make it 11-10. With two outs, Alyssa Albaugh hits a ground ball and reached on an error followed by Soper hitting a ground ball and reaching on an error that scored Holm with the tying run. Blumenschein then earned a 6-pitch walk to load the bases setting up Horton. Horton drew the walk to score Albaugh with the winning run for the win.

                WNCC pounded out 11 hits in the win. Travers and Holm each had three hits. Travers had a double with two singles, while Holm had three singles and two runs scored. Horton and Castron each had two hits. Horton had a double, home run, four RBIs and two runs scored in the game.

                Mia Migliaccio got the win in relief of Abbey Arntsen. Migliaccio went 4 2/3 innings in scattering three hits and not allowing a run.

                The opening game was just like the second game. Dawson scored early to take an 8-0 lead after scoring four in the first and two each in the second and third. WNCC responded in a big way in the bottom of the third with eight runs.

                It all started when Travers and Adi Duke both reached on errors. Abbey Arntsen scored the first run of the game with a run-scoring single. WNCC loaded the bases after Migliaccio walked. Jasmine Castro then tripled score three runs to make it 8-4.

                Castro came in to score as Albaugh reached on another error. WNCC loaded the bases once again on errors. Horton than singled to score Albaugh and Viktoria Sarkanova to make it a one-run ball game. WNCC tied it after Soper scored after tagging up on a fly ball.

                WNCC took a 9-8 lead with a run in the fifth as Soper scored on a Travers ground ball.

                Dawson tied the game with a run in the sixth only to watch the Cougars score the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth as Sarkanyova doubled in Arntsen to lead 10-9.

                Dawson came back with three runs in the seventh on five hits to go up 12-10. WNCC got one on in the seventh to try to come back as Arntsen had a 2-out double, but that was all they could manage.               

                WNCC had just seven hits in the first game, led by Arntsen with two hits. Castro had three RBIs in the contest.

Game 1
Dawson             422 001 3 – 12 15 4
WNCC                008 011 0 – 10 7 4
LP – Mia Migliaccio.
2B – Abbey Arntsen, Viktoria Sarkanyova.
3B – Jasmine Castro.

Game 2
Dawson             236 000 0 – 11 13 9
WNCC                700 020 3 – 12 11 4
WP – Mia Migliaccio.
2B – Tina Horton, Tori Travers.
HR – Tina Horton.