MCCOOK – The Western Nebraska Community College softball season came to an end after dropping two contests on Friday at the Region IX tournament in McCook, but it wasn't without some gutsy play on the day.
The Cougars took top-seeded McCook Community College to the limit in the first game on the day in the winner's bracket and came so close in topping the team that went 30-2 in conference play before falling 4-3 on a seventh-inning play at the plate that resulted in the Indians getting the walk-off win.
The second game, an elimination game with Luna Community College, saw the Cougars fall 14-6.
WNCC ends the season at 25-26 under first-year head coach Nayeli Diaz. The Cougars also had two all-region players that were announced in between games on Friday. Tori Travers was named an honorable mention all-region player, while Jasmine Castro was a first-team all-region outfield selection.
Travers showed why she was an all-region selection as the sophomore had two home runs on the day with five RBIs. Travers had the big hit in the McCook game, but both games were classic WNCC games that fans have witnessed over the past month, which saw the Cougars win 10 straight games before falling today.
The McCook game was one where the Cougars held their own against the ranked team and could have won and the pitching staffs from both teams stayed strong. McCook's Paige Warren, who was named the Region IX Player of the Year, struck out 13 Cougars, but the Cougar bats got nine hits off the pitcher.
WNCC's pitching staff of three freshmen also did well, allowing just four McCook runs while allowing just six hits. Mia Migilaccio started and went 2.1 innings followed by Gracie Holm going 1.1 innings and then Abbey Arntsen going the final three innings.
The Cougar defense also kept them in the game with some big-time plays in throwing out McCook base runners on the bases.
WNCC had nine hits in the contest, led by two hits each from Tina Horton and Viktoria Sarkanyova. Travers had one hit with her three-run home run.
Neither team scored in the first three innings. WNCC had an opportunity to score in the second when Abi Duke and Sarkanyova had one-out singles, but the Cougars couldn't get a run across the plate.
The third inning saw McCook get two runners on but stranded the runners in scoring position after the batter was called out for interference for the third out.
The fourth inning saw McCook finally crack the scoreless contest with two runs with two outs.
WNCC answered in the fifth. Ellie Soper and Tina Horton each singled with one out and then Travers delivered a shot over the left-field fence for a 3-run home run and a 3-2 lead. WNCC also got singles after that from Gracie Holm and Castro but couldn't get a hit to bring them home.
McCook tied the contest with a run in the fifth. Neither team scored in the sixth and WNCC couldn't get a run across in the seventh, setting up the seventh for McCook. With one out, McCook got a runner on via an error. With two outs, Kashlin Beck singled up the middle and the throw home was on target, and the bang-bang play was ruled safe by the umpire to give McCook the win.
The McCook loss sent the Cougars to an elimination game against Luna and WNCC battled but ran out of gas late in the contest.
Travers collected four hits in the 14-6 loss to Luna. Travers hit a solo home run to left-field in the third, doubled in the fourth, singled in the first, and singled in the sixth. Travers was a triple short of the cycle.
Besides Travers 4-for-4 performance in her final game as a Cougar, Sarkanyova finished off her Cougar career with a 3-for-4 contest with two runs scored, while Castro had two hits.
WNCC led just once in the contest at 3-2 in the third. Both teams scored twice in the second. After Luna plated two, WNCC answered with two runs in the bottom of the second. Sarkanyova and Emma Murdock singled and Ellie Soper laid down a sacrifice bunt while both runners scored on an error.
WNCC took the lead in the third when Travers delivered a solo home run to left field. Luna answered with five runs in the fourth on a solo home run and then scoring four more on four more hits and three walks for the 7-3 lead.
The Cougars came right back in the bottom of the fourth with three runs. Sarkanyova led off with a single followed by Soper getting a walk. Sarkanyova scored on a Tina Horton single. Horton scored on a Travers double and Travers scored on an Abbey Arntsen hit that resulted in an error, but that was all they could get.
Luna scored seven times over the next three innings to lead 14-6. WNCC left the bases loaded in the fifth to squander a prime scoring opportunity.
The Cougars season ends as they will say goodbye to six sophomores in Travers, Sarkanyova, Horton, Soper, Adi Duke, and Alyssa Albaugh.
Head coach Nayeli Diaz has already signed seven players for next year so far including Gering's Jacelyn Brown; Cheyenne East's Alexa Luethy; Cheyenne Central's Maya Driver; Rapid City Stevens' Kadyn Vu; Vancouver, Washington's Gracie Graden; Grantsville's Saydee Thornton; and Mexico's Danyela Mandujano.
Game 1
WNCC 000 030 0 – 3 9 2
McCook 000 210 1 – 4 6 0
LP – Abbey Arntsen.
HR – Tori Travers.
Game 2
Luna 020 512 4 – 14 13 3
WNCC 021 300 0 – 6 12 3
LP – Abbey Arntsen.
2B – Tori Travers.
HR – Tori Travers.