PHOENIX – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team split a pair of games on Friday in Phoenix.

              WNCC captured an afternoon contest against GateWay Community College with a 13-hit attack and the 6-2 win. The nightcap saw Phoenix College register a 9-2 win.

              The GateWay contest saw WNCC start scoring from the beginning and never looked back in the 9-inning contest.

              WNCC plated three runs in the first and added two more in the third for a 5-0 lead.

              The first inning saw Jonathan Bermudez come up with a 2-run single. Brevin Owen followed with a single to score Brandan Maher.

              WNCC added to the lead with two more in the third inning. Maher and Bermudez started things with back-to-back singles. Tyler Olson came through with a run-scoring single and then Esai Hernandez had a run-scoring single to make it 5-0.

              GateWay plated single runs in the sixth and eighth inning to cut the lead to 5-2, but WNCC added an insurance run in the ninth.

              WNCC pounded out 13 hits, all singles. Cole Williams and Brandan Maher each had three hits in the contest. Williams scored one run and Maher two.

              Jonathan Bermudez and Brevin Owen each had two hits. Bermudez finished with two RBIs.

              Alex Oehlme, who had a perfect game going through three innings, picked up the win, tossing seven strong innings in allowing three hits, one run, and striking out six. Nate Kolb earned the save, pitching the final two innings in giving up two hits, a run, and striking out one.

              The second game saw Phoenix College come out top, platting three first-inning runs. Phoenix went on to lead 9-0 after scoring four in the sixth.

              WNCC started a late comeback, scoring three in the eighth on just one hit. The Cougars started the inning with three straight walks. Bermudez followed with a double that plated two runs. Esai Hernandez picked up a RBI with a ground ball hit.

              WNCC had six hits in the game. Bermudez and Williams each had two hits. Bermudez had a double with two RBIs.

              The Cougars used three pitchers in the contest. Zach Berg was tagged with the loss, going five innings in allowing five runs on five hits, while striking out five.

              Andres Garcia and Nat Andresen each threw as well. Andresen went 2 2/3 innings in striking out three and not giving up a hit.

              WNCC will finish the Spring Break trip with a game with Mesa Community College on Saturday.

Game 1

WNCC                302 000 001 – 6 13 2

GateWay            000 001 010 – 2 5 1

WP – Alex Oehme

S – Nate Kolb

Game 2

WNCC                000 000 030  -- 3 6 4

Phoenix              310 104 00x – 9 7 0

LP – Zach Berg

2B – Jonathan Bermudez