TRINIDAD, Colo. — The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team dropped an 18-12 slugfest to Miles Community College in a play-in game to the Region IX Tournament on Wednesday in Trinidad, Colorado.
The Cougars finish their season with a final record of 22-35.
There wasn't a shortage of offense in the contest. The teams combined for 38 hits — 19 for each. The two teams also combined for seven doubles and three home runs.
WNCC held leads of 2-0, 5-0 and 7-5 before Miles scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to go in front for good. The Cougars managed to close back within a run in the seventh, but Miles managed to push its advantage back up late in the nine-inning game.
Ryan Grasser paced WNCC at the plate with four hits and four runs scored. Oscar Perez and Austin Michaud both finished with three hits, while Aaron Morrison, Jack Pauley, Isaac Taylor, and Landon Urban all supplied two hits each.
Michaud drove in three runs. Driving in two runs each were Morrison, Pauley and Stuart Eurich. Eurich had the lone home run for the Cougars along with two RBIs.
Perez and Michaud both scored a pair of runs.
WNCC finished the contest with four doubles. Morrison, Perez, Michaud, and Pauley all had one each.
The win secured Miles the fourth seed in the regional tournament, which begins Thursday and runs through Saturday in Trinidad. Miles will face top-seeded Trinidad State, and Lamar Community College and McCook Community College will square off in Thursday's first-round games.
WNCC will say goodbye to 14 sophomores including Aaron Morrison, Isaac Block, Oscar Perez, Brandon Bachar, Brian Kelley, Jayden Holman, Montana Giesbrecht, Beau Lofink, Bradley Brown, Matt Maestas, Jose Monge, Kyle Burton, Austin Michaud, and Jack Pauley.
WNCC (22-35) 230 203 110 — 12 19 0
Miles 023 070 42x — 18 19 1
LP — Lincoln Trujilo; HR — Stuart Eurich. 2B — Aaron Morrison, Oscar Perez, Austin Michaud, Jack Pauley.