Baseball drops three games to No. 13 Trinidad

Posted: Apr 08, 2018

TRINIDAD, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team had plenty of hits and runs, but it wasn't enough in falling in an Empire Conference doubleheader to No. 13 Trinidad State Junior College Sunday in Trinidad, Colorado.

In the first game, WNCC outhit Trinidad 12-7, but the Trojans scored five late runs to earn the 8-5 win. The second game saw WNCC and Trinidad combine on 24 hits, but the Trojans plated 10 runs in the middle innings to register the 10-4 win.

The first game saw Trinidad score three, first-inning runs and then held off a late WNCC rally. WNCC broke the scoreless streak with a run in the fourth on a lead-off Tyler Olson home run to cut the lead to 3-1.

Lamar came back with three in the fifth and two in the sixth for an 8-1 lead. WNCC kept that fight in them, making a seventh-inning comeback, plating four runs all with two outs. Mitch Lightbody started the inning with a 2-out double. Cole Williams followed with a run-scoring single. After Brandan Maher reached on an error, Jonathan Bermudez launched a 3-run home run. That was as close as the Cougars would get.

WNCC finished with 12 hits. Lightbody and Williams each had three hits in the contest, while Bermudez and Olson each had two hits each. Lightbody had a double with a run scored, while Williams had a RBI and run scored.

Bermudez finished with a home run and three RBIs, while Olson had a home run.

Claude Bova suffered the loss on the mound, going five strong innings in scattering five hits, allowing six runs, and striking out two. Kale Litzelman tossed one inning in allowing two runs and two hits.

The two teams were in a pitcher's duel for the first three innings with neither team plating a run. Lamar struck first with four in the fourth on five hits including three doubles.

WNCC came back with a single run in the fifth with Maher singling home Lightbody. Lamar answered WNCC's lone run with six of their own in the fifth for a 10-1 lead.

WNCC kept finding ways to score runs after plating three in the sixth. Bova and Esai Hernandez started the comeback with back-to-back doubles. Hernandez 2-bagger scored Bova. Hernandez and Brevin Owen would later score to bring the score to 10-4.

WNCC was led at the plate by Lightbody, Maher, and Bova with two hits each. All three, along with Esai Hernandez had a double.

Hunter Parker suffered the loss, going four innings in giving up six hits, four runs, while striking out two. Nate Kolb and Nat Andresen each went an inning. Kolb gave up six runs and five hits, while Andresen surrendered two hits.

WNCC will be back in conference action Wednesday when they travel to McCook for one 9-inning game. WNCC and McCook are tied in conference play with 5-11 records. The Cougars will then host Otero Junior College in a 3-game series on Saturday and Sunday. Otero is 10-10 in the conference and in third place behind league-leading Trinidad at 21-2 and 33-6 overall. Lamar is 10-8 and in second place.

WNCC drops 9-inning game on Saturday

TRINIDAD, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team held an early lead but No. 13 Trinidad State Junior College scored runs in the final six innings to register a 12-6 Empire Conference victory Saturday in Trinidad, Colorado.

Trinidad struck first, plating two in the first. WNCC came back to grab a 3-2 lead in the second. WNCC had three straight singles to start the inning from Jonathan Bermudez, Tyler Olson, and then a run-scoring single from Esai Hernandez. WNCC went ahead on run-scoring ground outs by Claude Bova and Tyler Schubert.

Trinidad came back, after falling behind 3-2, to plate runs in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth for a 12-5 lead.

WNCC plated two in the seventh as Bova blasts a lead-off solo home run. Brandan Maher added a second run, singling home Braden Lofink. The Cougars added a single run in the ninth as Bermudez doubled home Maher, but that was as close as WNCC could get.

The Cougars finished with 10 hits in the contest while the Trojans had 19. Bova led the Cougars from the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double, home run, two RBIs, and a run scored. Bermudez and Olson each had two hits in the contest. Bermudez had a double with a RBI and run scored.

Alex Oehme suffered the loss on the mound, tossing six innings in scattering 15 hits, allowing nine runs and striking out two. Zach Berg tossed the final two innings, allowing four hits, three runs, and striking out one.

Saturday Game
WNCC (7-24) 030 000 201 – 6 10 4

Trinidad (31-6) 202 311 12x – 12 19 0

LP – Alex Oehme

2B – Jonathan Bermudez, Claude Bova

HR – Claude Bova

Sunday's Games
Game 1

WNCC 000 100 4 – 5 12 2

Trinidad 300 032 x – 8 7 1

LP – Claude Bova

2B – Mitch Lightbody

HR – Tyler Olson, Jonathan Bermudez

Game 2