TRINIDAD, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team were on the wrong side of two different contests Saturday afternoon in Empire Conference action against Trinidad State Junior College.

                Trinidad State captured the opener with a 10-0, five-inning win whereas, the second game, the Trojans used a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh to record the 9-7 win.

                WNCC dropped all four contests to Trinidad over the weekend, but the Cougars are still on top of the Empire Conference standings at 18-8. Trinidad moves into second at 16-9, just a game and half behind the Cougars. WNCC evens their record at 23-23 overall as they get set to host McCook Community College in a conference doubleheader on Thursday.

                The second game was a battle of a comeback for the Cougars. Trinidad struck first with two in the third only to watch the Cougars scratch across two in the fourth to tie the game at 2-2. The Trojans answered with four in the fourth for a 6-2 lead.

                That was when WNCC came back with three in the fifth and two in the sixth to take a 7-6 lead. Esai Hernandez started the fifth with a triple followed by a run-scoring single by Ty Benson. Alex Achtermann then had a 2-out walk. Benson came across to score on a passed ball and then Isaac Taylor had a run-scoring single to bring the Cougars to within one.

                The two runs in the sixth saw WNCC score two runs on a throwing error to first base to give the Cougars the lead at 7-6.

                WNCC couldn't hold the lead in the seventh. Trinidad gets a single from Alec Petterson and then a run-scoring double from Conrado Diaz to tie the game. Blake Mattey delivered the final blow, a 2-run home run for the win.

                WNCC pounded out seven hits in the contest. Benson and Taylor each had two hits. Benson scored twice with a run scored and a stolen base. Taylor had two singles with a RBI.

                Brandon Bachar finished with a double and a RBI, while Hernandez had a triple and a run scored.

                The first game saw WNCC manage just four hits while Trinidad at seven. Trinidad, however, got the hits when they needed in scoring four times in the second and three runs each in the fourth and fifth to call the game.

                WNCC was led at the plate by Alex Achtermann with two hits. Ryan Grasser and Cole Williams each finished with a double in the contest.

First Game

WNCC                   000 00 – 0 4 2

Trinidad                040 33 – 10 7 2

LP – Alex Achtermann; 2B – Ryan Grasser, Cole Williams.

Second Game

WNCC                   000 232 0 – 7 7 4

Trinidad                002 400 3 – 9 8 2

LP – Alex Oehme; 2B – Brandon Bachar; 3B – Esai Hernandez.