TRINIDAD, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team dropped an Empire Conference doubleheader to Trinidad State Junior College Friday in Trinidad, Colorado.

                The first contest was an offensive showcase with the two teams combining for 22 runs and 21 hits with the Trojans scoring five sixth-inning runs to earn the 13-9 win. Game two was a pitcher's dual before Trinidad scored three sixth-inning runs to pick up the 5-2 win.

                Trinidad's two wins Friday tightens up the Empire Conference standings. WNCC is still in first place with a 18-6 record and 23-21 overall despite the two defeats. Trinidad State moves to 14-9 in conference play and 24-18 overall. Lamar is still in second place at 13-8 in conference play.

                WNCC and Trinidad will return to the field for the final two games of the series on Saturday.

                Both games were battles between the two Region IX teams. WNCC had plenty of offense in the first game, pounding out 11 hits including a double from Ty Benson and a 3-run home from Brandon Bachar.

                WNCC scored single runs in the first, second, and third but still trailed after Trinidad scored four first inning runs and two in the third to lead 6-3.

                Trinidad went up 8-3 before WNCC came back with three in the sixth on Bachar's 2-out, 3-run home run to cut the lead to 8-6. The Trojans regrouped with five in the sixth for the 13-6 lead.

                The Cougars tried a seventh-inning comeback with three runs on a run-scoring single by Benson and a 2-run single by Alex Achtermann but it wasn't enough.

                Benson led the charge with three hits with two runs scored, a RBI, and a stolen base. Bachar and Stuart Eurich each had two hits. Bachar had three RBIs and a run scored, while Eurich had a double and a RBI.

                WNCC started game two on fire, plating two early runs to lead 2-0. Trinidad came back with two in the third to knot the game at 2-2. The game stayed tied until the sixth when the Trojans scored three times on four hits to take a 5-2 lead.

                WNCC managed just for hits in the contest, all singles. Ryan Grasser had two hits along with a run scored and a RBI. The other hits came from Achtermann and Brandan Maher.

First Game

WNCC                   111 003 3 – 9 11

Trinidad                402 205 x – 13 10

LP – Claude Bova; 2B – Ty Benson, Brandon Bachar, Stuart Eurich; HR – Brandon Bachar.

Second Game

WNCC                   110 000 0 – 2 4

Trinidad                002 003 x – 5 7

LP – Jacob Pekol.