LAMAR, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team split a conference doubleheader with Lamar Community College on Saturday. The Cougars took the opener 14–10 before falling 9–7 in the second game.
WNCC moves to 15–23 overall and 8–14 in conference play. Lamar is 19–27 overall and 14–12 in conference. The Cougars remain just one game out of the sixth and final Region IX tournament spot, trailing Trinidad State (11–15). The two teams will conclude the four‑game series Sunday in Lamar. WNCC then returns home next weekend to host Trinidad State before finishing the regular season with a four‑game series against North Platte (1–21 in conference).
Lamar and WNCC will wrap up the four-game series with two contests on Sunday in important conference contests. After that, WNCC will host Trinidad State next weekend and then wrap up the regular season with a four-game series with North Platte (1-21 in conference play).
The opener featured plenty of offense as the two teams combined for 24 runs and 22 hits. WNCC struck first with two runs in the opening inning, both coming with two outs. Adi Duke singled in one run, and Jasmine Castro followed with another RBI single. The Cougars added a run in the second when Tina Horton tripled home Alyssa Albaugh.
Lamar answered with two runs in the second and third for a 4-3 lead. WNCC retook the lead at 6-4 with three in the fourth with all three runs coming with two outs. Albaugh started things with a bunt and error. With two outs, Tori Travers singled in a run. Abbey Arntsen followed with a two-run home run.
Lamar tied the game with two in the fourth at 6-6, but WNCC answered with a five-run, fifth on just four hits. The fifth started with a Duke single and scored on a Castro single. Albaugh reached on another bunt-and-error sequence to load the bases. Horton was hit by a pitch to force in a run, and Ellie Soper scores on a wild pitch to make it 19-6.
Albaugh scores on a Travers sacrifice fly to make it 10-6 and Arntsen plates the final run of the frame with a single to score Horton.
Lamar cuts the deficit to 11-10 with one in the fifth and three in the sixth, but WNCC added three insurance runs in the seventh. With two outs, Travers and Arntsen singled before Gracie Holm blasted a three-run home run to secure the win.
WNCC finished with 12 hits in the contest. Arntsen led the way with three hits, including a home run, three RBIs, and three runs scored.
Four Cougars finished with two hits each in Travers, Holm, Duke, and Castro. Holm had three RBIs with a home run. Albaugh scored three runs in the contest on no hits.
The second game saw WNCC score single runs in the first four innings, but Lamar's early offense proved too much to overcome. Lamar plated eight runs in the first three innings, including a five-run second, to build an 8-4 lead through four.
WNCC made it 8-4 with the single run in the fourth when Soper singled and scored on an Albaugh bunt. Trailing 9-4 entering the seventh, the Cougars mounted a late rally. Hayley Blumenschein started things by reaching on an error, followed by Horton blasting a two-run home run. Travers singled and scored on an Arntsen sacrifice fly, but the comeback ended there.
WNCC finished with eight hits to Lamar's 13. Albaugh and Travers each had two hits with Albaugh driving in two runs and Travers scoring twice. Horton and Duke added extra base hits -- Horton with a home run and Duke with a double.
Game 1
WNCC 210 350 3 – 14 12 6
Lamar 022 213 0 – 10 10 7
WP – Gracie Holm.
3B – Tina Horton.
HR – Abbey Arntsen, Gracie Holm.
Game 2
WNCC 111 100 3 – 7 8 5
Lamar 251 010 x – 9 13 6
LP – Mia Migliaccio.
2B – Adi Duke.
HR – Tina Horton.