MILES CITY, Mont. – The Western Nebraska Community College and Miles Community College played 16 innings in a Empire Conference doubleheader Saturday and the Cougars came away with a split with the Pioneers.

                In the opener, Jack Pauley delivered the game-winning double to score Oscar Perez in the eighth inning to capture the 5-4 win. The second game also went eight innings, except Miles got a home run from Taylor Carson for the 5-4 win.

                Sunday's split makes the conference race for the third and fourth seeds very tight. Miles takes control of third place with a 13-15 record while WNCC, Northeastern Junior College and McCook Community College all have 17 losses. WNCC and NJC are 13-15 while McCook is 11-15.

                WNCC and Miles will finish off the six-game series Monday in Miles City, Montana.

                Both games Sunday were tight games between two equal ball clubs. The first game saw two good pitching performances from Jose Monge and Beau Lofink. Monge went six strong innings in allowing four hits, four runs and striking out four in the no-decision. Lofink tosses the final two innings in allowing just two hits and striking out three for the win.

                Offensively, WNCC pounded out 12 hits in the win. Perez and Pauley each had three hits. Perez had a run scored with three singles, while Pauley had a double, home run, four RBIs, and a run scored. Austin Michaud also collected two hits in the contest. Isaac Block had the other extra base hit with a double.

                Miles scored four in the third before WNCC answered with three in the third to cut the lead to 4-3 on Pauley's three-run home run. The Cougars tied the game in the fourth as Pauley reached base on a dropped third strike that score the tying run with two outs.

                The game stayed tied until the eighth when Perez singled and scored on a 2-out double by Pauley.

                The second game was almost similar to the first. Miles scores four in the third for a 4-0 lead. WNCC comes right back with two in the third to slice the lead to 4-2. The Cougars tie the game at 4-4 with two runs in the sixth on a Aaron Morrison run-scoring single and a sacrifice fly by Stuart Eurich.

                Miles led off the eighth with a home run by Carson. WNCC had an opportunity to tie the game as Garret Smith doubled but was stranded at third with the tying run.

                WNCC managed nine hits to Miles' 11. Smith and Aaron Morrison each had two hits in the contest. Smith had the only extra-base hit with his eighth-inning double.

First Game

Miles                     004 000 00 – 4 6 0

WNCC                   003 100 01 – 5 12 1

WP – Beau Lofink; 2B – Isaac Block, Jack Pauley; HE – Jack Pauley.

Second Game

Miles                     004 000 01 – 5 11 0

WNCC                   002 002 00 – 4 9 1

LP – Beau Lofink; 2B – Garret Smith.