LAMAR, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team dropped a Region IX conference doubleheader to conference-leading Lamar Community College on Sunday.

                In the opening game, Lamar struck early and often in rolling to a 16-2 win. The second game was a little different as Lamar survived the upset bid 6-4 over the Cougars.

                WNCC will be back in action Friday and Saturday when they travel to face Otero Junior College for a four-game series.

                WNCC got on the scoreboard first with Gabby Loya scored on an error for the quick 1-0 lead. Lamar came back to knot the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the first.

                The Cougars grabbed a 3-1 lead with two in the third. Brooke Doumer had the big hit, blasting a 2-run, 2-out dinger over the left field fence.

                WNCC couldn't hold the lead as Lamar came back in the bottom of the frame with two of their own to tie the game at 3-3.

                The Cougars went up 4-3 with a single run in the fifth on a Michaela Kelly solo home run to lead off the inning. WNCC loaded the bases with no outs, but couldn't get the hit to drive anymore runs in.

                Lamar capitalized on the defensive stand by scoring three times in the fifth for the 6-4 lead.

WNCC loaded the bases once more in the sixth, but couldn't get the tying runs in.

                WNCC finished with six hits in the contest. Loya and Doumer each had two hits. Doumer had a home run and two RBIs, while Loya had two singles and two runs scored. Kelly also had a home run in the contest.

                Reagan Solomon went the distance in suffering the loss. Solomon scattered 10 hits and allowed six runs. Solomon struck out one in the contest.

                The first game saw Lamar score runs in all four innings, including an 8-run second inning to take a 16-0 lead.

                WNCC avoided the shutout by scoring twice in the fifth on singles by Hannah Schaefer and Madi Jackson and both scored on a fly ball error by Michaela Kelly.

                WNCC was led at the plate by Doumer, who had the only extra base hit with a double.

Game 1

WNCC                   000 02 – 2 4 6

Lamar                    383 2x – 16 13 2

LP – Emma McMillan

2B – Brooke Doumer

Game 2

WNCC                   102 010 0 – 4 6 2

Lamar                    102 030 x – 6 10 2

LP – Reagan Solomon

HR – Brooke Doumer, Michaela Kelly