GARDEN CITY, Kan. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team battled but dropped a doubleheader to Garden City Community College Sunday afternoon in Garden City, Kansas.

                The first game was a tight contest with Garden City scoring two, sixth-inning runs to capture the 4-2 win. The second game saw WNCC strike first leading 3-0 before the Broncbusters earned the 9-3 win.

                The opener was a game where both teams were neck-and-neck. Garden City pitcher Austin Stone went the distance in allowing just five hits while striking out 11 Cougars.

                Despite Stone's pitching, the Cougars battled. Garden City struck first with a run in the fourth inning. WNCC responded with two runs in the fifth. Brandan Maher and Tommy McRill led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Maher scored the tying run on a throwing error on a pick-off of McRill at first that went wild for the tying score. Cole Williams followed with a 2-out single to put the Cougars on top 2-1.

                Garden City came back to knot the score at 2-2 with a single run in the home-half of the fifth and then took the lead with two runs on three hits in the sixth. The two runs came with two outs.

                WNCC had five hits in the opener. Williams led the team with a 2-for-3 game with a triple and RBI. Esai Hernandez added a double and a stolen base.

                Alex Oehme started and went four innings, allowing a run with five hits and three strikeouts. Zach Berg took the loss, tossing two innings in allowing four hits, three runs, and walking two.

                The second game saw the Cougars start off well, scoring three times in the second inning for a 3-0 lead. Williams started things with a double followed by a run-scoring single by Cooper Buchhammer. Harrison Yates scored Buchhammer with a double for a 2-0 lead. Hernandez made it 3-0 with a 2-out, run-scoring single.

                WNCC couldn't hold the lead as the Broncbusters scored once in the second, and twice in the third to tie the game at 3-3. Garden City took the lead with a 4-run fourth and added two insurance runs in the fifth for the 9-3 lead.

                Both teams managed just six hits in the game. Williams led the team with a 2-for-3 game with two doubles and a run scored. Yates also added a double with a run scored and RBI.

                Both clubs used four pitchers in the game. Garden City's pitched totaled 10 strike outs with WNCC's foursome picking up seven strikeouts.

                Eric Heiman picked up the win, going three innings in striking out six and allowing three runs.

                Hunter Parker suffered the loss for WNCC. Parker went two innings in relieve of Claude Bova. Bova started and struck out four with giving up a run and a hit. Parker gave up three hits, six runs, and walked three. Also seeing time on the mound were Brandan Maher and Nate Kolb. Kolb finished the game allowing just one hit and striking out three.

                WNCC and Garden City will be back in action Monday afternoon for another doubleheader in Garden City, Kansas. WNCC will then return home for a non-conference doubleheader with Miles Community College next weekend at Cleveland Field.

First Game

WNCC                   000 020 0 – 2 5 2

Garden City        000 112 x – 4 9 1

LP – Zach Berg; 2B – Esai Hernandez; 3B – Cole Williams.

Second Game

WNCC (0-2)                         030 000 0 – 3 6 1

Garden City (5-2)              012 420 x – 9 6 1

LP – Hunter Parker; 2B – Cole Williams 2, Harrison Yates.