ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team opened the season with two heart-breaking losses in the ABA JUCO Weekend powered by Five Tool Classic in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

                The Cougars scored two in the first in the opener against Dodge City Community College, but then saw Dodge City come back to earn an 8-3 win.

                The second game saw WNCC mount a late comeback but it wasn't enough as the Cougars fell New Mexico Military 6-4.

                WNCC will be back in action Sunday in the same classic facing New Mexico Military at 10 a.m. followed by El Paso Community College at 2:30 p.m.

                The Dodge City game saw WNCC score twice in the first on two hits. Ethan "Q" Miller and Dermot Fritsch led off the game with singles. Miller scored the first run of the season on a passed ball while Fritsch scored on a John Betsch sacrifice fly.

                Dodge City came back to score one in the third to cut the Cougar lead to 2-1. Neither team found any runs until the seventh when Dodge City scored three in the top of the frame for a 4-2 lead. WNCC

                WNCC managed just three hits in the game. Ethan "Q" Miller and Dermot Fritsch each had singles while Joey Olson had a double.

                Garrett Declue went five strong innings allowing just one run while striking out two. Dawson Hurford finished the contest with two innings pitched, allowing three runs and striking out one.

                The New Mexico contest saw the Cougars come back in the later innings only to come up short. New Mexico Military took a 5-0 lead after the first innings. After that WNCC pitchers Chandler Young and Ty McAninch threw well.

                WNCC sliced the lead to one with a four-run fifth inning. Joe Kinneberg started the inning after getting plunked with the pitch. Austin Abbott then singled followed by Miller earning a walk to load the bases. Fritsch then took an 0-2 pitch and carried it deep over the leftfield fence for a grand slam.

                New Mexico Military added a single run in the sixth and then held WNCC scoreless in the final two innings to preserve the win.

                WNCC finished with five hits in the contest. Fritsch led the way with two hits, including four RBIs on his grand slam. Hunter Nelson, Caleb Coats, and Austin Abbott each earned singles in the game.

Game 1

Dodge City          001 000 3 – 4 8 0

WNCC                   200 000 0 – 2 3 1

LP – Dawson Hurford.

2B – Joey Olson.

Game 2

WNCC                   000 040 0 – 4 5 1

NM Military        500 001 x – 6 6 0

LP – Chandler Young.

HR – Dermot Fritsch.