BEATRICE, Neb. – The Western Nebraska Community College and Southeast Community College baseball teams hooked up in a thrilling Empire Conference 3-game series Sunday and Monday.
After the two teams split games on Sunday, WNCC captured Monday's 9-inning game 5-3 in 10 innings.
Sunday's action Southeast get a walk-off ninth-inning single for the 3-2 win. The second game on Sunday saw Brevin Owen get a sixth-inning 2-run home run to lift the Cougars to a 4-1 win.
Monday's rubber contest was a thriller with both teams receiving stellar pitching performances.
Kale Litzelman started the game and went six strong innings in scattering four hits, allowing two runs, and striking out six. Chandler Young finished off the game, picking up the win as the freshman from Ft. Collins, Colorado, going four innings in allowing just one hit and run while striking out two while facing just 14 batters.
Offensively, WNCC outhit Southeast 11-5 with 10 of the hits being singles.
Southeast struck first with a solo run in the first. The Storm then stormed to a 2-0 lead with another run in the fourth inning.
WNCC came back and tied the game with a 2-spot in the sixth inning. Brevin Owen started the inning with a single and came around to score on a Harrison Yates single. WNCC loaded the bases as Michael Felton walked and Hunter Nelson singles. Ty McAninch came through with the clutch 2-out single to tie the game at 2-2.
The game stayed that way until the 10th inning when Yates led off with a double. Matt Womack followed with a single to score Yates. Womack later scored on a wild pitch for a 4-2 lead. McAninch followed with another clutch 2-out single scoring Braden Lofink for the 5-2 lead.
Southeast came back to score one in the 10th and had two runners on when Young stuck out the final batter for the win.
McAninch led the offensive with three hits from his lead-off position. McAninch had two RBIs in the win. Owen and Yates contributed two hits in the contest. Yates had the only extra base hit with a double while scoring two runs and knocking in a run.
WNCC, 9-16, moves to 6-5 in conference play. The Cougars in third place in the conference behind Trinidad State (9-3) and Northeastern Junior College (7-4). WNCC will next be in action Thursday when they travel to McCook for conference games against the Indians. McCook is 5-7 in conference play.
Monday's Game
WNCC 000 002 000 3 – 5 11 5
Southeast 100 100 000 1 – 3 5 2
WP – Chandler Young.
2B -- Harrison Yates.