The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team stepped out of Region IX play on Sunday and dropped a hard-fought doubleheader to Colby Community College at Cleveland Field.

                In the opener, Colby scored four late runs to earn a 5-2 win. The second game was a slugfest with the teams combining for 30 hits as Colby won 15-9 in the 9-inning contest.

                The second game was offensive-minded. WNCC played well early, holding a 3-0 lead after five innings. WNCC scored on in the third on two singles and then went up 3-0 with two more in the fifth on singles by Landon Urban and Austin Michaud.

                Colby's bats came alive in the last four innings, scoring 15 runs on 14 hits. Colby went ahead with four in the sixth and six in the seventh, before adding five insurance runs in the ninth.

                WNCC, however, kept battling despite the 10-3 deficit, scoring twice in the eighth and four more in the ninth. Matt Maestas and Garret Smith led off the eighth with doubles, Smith's shot scored Maestas. Aaron Morrison followed with a run-scoring single.

                The ninth became exciting as WNCC put together four singles and took advantage of errors to plate four runs. Isaac Taylor started things with a single before Jack Pauley singled and Maestas walked to load the bases. Smith came through with a run-scoring single Morrison than reached on an error that plated another run followed by Stuart Eurich ripping a run-scoring single. Smith later scored on a line-out but that was all the scoring WNCC could manage.

                WNCC pounded out 13 hits in the contest with five players getting two hits each. Pauley, Smith, and Morrison each finished the game with two hits and two RBIs. Smith and Maestas each had two runs scored.

                Also collecting two hits each was Isaac Taylor, while Ryan Grasser had two runs scored.

                Six pitchers took to the mound in the second game. Lincoln Trujillo suffered the loss, allowing three hits, four runs, while striking out two. Also seeing time on the mound were Nate Giefer, Ian Fisher, Zac Moran, Kyle Burton, and Alex Achtermann.

                The first game was a defensive battle with runs coming at a minimum. Colby out to a 4-0 lead before WNCC finally started to find its offense, scoring twice in the sixth. The big blast was a run-scoring double by Pauley.

                WNCC managed just four hits in the contest, led by the two-hit attack from Brandon Bachar. Michaud and Pauley also collected a hit.

                Montana Giesbrecht suffered the loss on the mound, going four innings in allowing a run with three strikeouts. Isaac Block finished off the game, allowing four runs on four hits while striking out four.

                WNCC will be back in action this weekend when they host conference leading Trinidad State Junior College in a four-game series. Trinidad went 3-3 with Miles Community College this past weekend.

                The Cougars, who are 15-21 on the season, are 9-7 in Empire Conference play and four games out of first place. Trinidad State leads the conference at 14-4 and 22-10 overall. Lamar Community College is second at 13-9 in conference, while Miles is fourth at 10-8.

First Game

Colby                     010 021 1 – 5 8 0

WNCC                   000 002 0 – 2 4 1

LP – Montana Giesbrecht; 2B – Austin Michaud, Jack Pauley.

Second Game

Colby                     000 004 605 – 15 17 2

WNCC                   001 020 024 – 9 13 1

LP – Lincoln Trujillo; 2B – Aaron Morrison, Matt Maestas, Garret Smith.