The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team remained unbeaten in Empire Conference action after earning a sweep over Otero Junior College Sunday afternoon at Cleveland Field.

                The first game was a pitcher's duel as Claude Bova led the Cougars to the 2-1. WNCC finished off the sweep with a six-run sixth inning in game two in registering the 7-1 win.

                WNCC moves to 12-0 in conference play while moving to 17-15 overall. WNCC and Otero will face each other in another doubleheader Monday beginning at noon.

                Stuart Eurich, who had a big home run in game two, said the team played well and got the hits when they needed.

                "We played good today," the sophomore outfielder said. "Our bats weren't hot as they were last weekend, but we started to find them in game two."

                Runs were hard to come by in both games and Eurich said WNCC's pitchers kept them in the game.

                "We trailed both games and we know our goal is to stay undefeated as long as we can," he said. "We came and hit at clutch times."

                WNCC has now won eight straight after receiving a forfeit win from Miles from last weekend. The Cougars are finally that confidence of winning and Eurich said that is key as they head into the final month of the regular season.

                "We are believing in each other and we have each other's backs," he said. "Lately we have been coming up with clutch hits whenever we need to. Right know everything is going our way."

                WNCC came back in both games to win. In the opener, neither team could seem to score until the sixth. Otero plated one in the top of the frame and then WNCC came back with two for the 2-1 lead. Alex Achtermann started things with a one-out single. WNCC loaded the bases with two outs when Lincoln Trujillo came through with a pinch hit, two-run single for the lead.

                WNCC had just one extra base hit, a double by Brandon Bachar.

                Bova picked up the complete game win, scattering seven hits while allowing one run and striking out three.

                WNCC found the offense late in the second game. Early on, the second game was just like the first game where runs were rare. Otero plated a run in the third and held the lead until the fifth when Eurich hammered a solo home run to tie the game.

                The Cougars opened the game with six runs in the sixth on just two hits, singles by Isaac Taylor and Eurich.

                WNCC finished with eight hits in the game. Eurich and Isaac Taylor each had two hits. Eurich had a home run with three RBIs, a run scored and a stolen base, while Taylor had two singles.

                Jacob Pekol went five innings in scattering four hits and striking out eight before giving way to Zac Moran, who tossed one inning in striking out two. Moran picked up the win while Ian Fisher earned the save pitching the seventh.

First Game

Otero                    000 001 0 – 1 5 0

WNCC                   000 002 x – 2 3 2

WP – Claude Bova; 2B – Brandon Bachar.

Second Game

Otero                    001 000 0 – 1 4 1

WNCC                   000 016 x – 7 8 1

WP – Zac Moran, S – Ian Fisher; HR – Stuart Eurich.