ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team dropped two games at the ABA JUCO Weekend powered by Five Tool Classic in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to close out the classic.

                WNCC allowed four runs in the sixth inning as New Mexico Military used that big inning to register a 10-4 win in the opening game. The Cougars then managed just three hits in an 8-2 loss to El Paso Community College to wrap up the classic.

                The New Mexico Military game was close for the first five innings. New Mexico Military led 3-0 after the first two innings. WNCC came back to plate a run in the third and fourth inning to cut the lead to 3-2.

                The third saw Joe Kinneberg single in Joey Olson for the first run of the game for the Cougars. The fourth inning saw an unearned run as Matt Womack scored on a dropped third strike.

                New Mexico Military then opened the game with a four-spot in the sixth to go up 7-2 and then added a run in the seventh for an 8-2 lead. WNCC added two in the seventh to cut the deficit in half.

                WNCC scored the two runs in the seventh with two outs. Ethan "Q" Miller walked followed by a Dermot Fritsch single. Miller came around to score on a passed ball while Fritsch scored on a Luis Alcantara single.

                New Mexico Military added two insurance runs in the ninth for the final 10-4 win.

                WNCC finished with eight hits in the contest. Joe Kinneberg led the team with three hits with a RBI. Michael Felton had the only extra base hit with a double.

                Corbin Kirk suffered the loss, going three innings in allowing three runs while striking out four. Jerson Morales and Trent Richter also pitched three innings. Morales had three strikeouts.

                The El Paso contest saw WNCC fall behind after the first inning as El Paso scored six runs. WNCC got on the scoreboard in the fourth with two runs. WNCC loaded the bases to start the inning with singles my Matt Womack and John Betsch and a walk by Fritsch. Ty McAnich then delivered a single to score two runs.

                WNCC couldn't get any closer as El Paso scored single runs in the fifth and sixth inning to get the win.

                McAninch led the way with a single with two RBIs for the Cougars. The other two singles came from Womack and Betsch.

                Kyler Harris took the loss on the mound. Harris went four innings in allowing six runs on seven hits while striking out two. Brandon Rollinson tossed the final two innings in allowing two runs on three hits.

                WNCC will be back in action Monday when they face Lamar Community College in Lamar, Colorado, in a 9-inning non-conference contest.

Game 1

NM Military        120 004 102 – 10 11 1

WNCC                   001 100 200 – 4 8 0

LP – Corbin Kirk.

2B – Michael Felton.

Game 2

WNCC                   000 200 0 – 2 3 2

El Paso                  600 011 x – 8 10 0

LP – Kyler Harris.