Drew Book blasted an 8th-inning, walk-off grand slam to help the Western Nebraska Community College baseball team come back to register a 20-19 game two win over Miles Community College Wednesday afternoon.
The first game with the Pioneers saw Will Potter throw a 2-hitter and Jack Jones finish with four RBIs including a 2-run walk-off fifth-inning single to help the Cougars earn the run-ruled 11-1 win over Miles as the Cougars swept the doubleheader with the Pioneers. It was the Cougars' home opener.
"The first game was a real solid game. We went out and started hitting the ball and the pitching was great," Book said. "The second game we had a rough start. The pitchers weren't doing their best job and as hitters we have to do our best job and make up for our pitchers."
Game two was a comeback that saw the Cougars trail 15-6 entering the bottom of the seventh inning. It was the seventh that the Cougars put things together to score the tying runs with two outs.
Book said the mind-frame of the players was just to get on base and trust the next batter.
"The mental frame was just give it to the next guy and do what you can at the plate with your bat and give it to the next guy and do what you can," he said.
That comeback in the seventh and the comeback in the eighth with Book's grand slam saw the Cougars plate 14 runs in the last two innings.
The Cougars' seventh-inning rally saw WNCC send 13 batters to the plate with five hits. The frame started as Book was hit by a pitch. Dylan Howard followed with a double. Spencer Ohu then scored Book with a single. Ethan Johnson plated two more with a double to make it 15-9.
Rollins followed with a single that scored another run to make it 15-10. Eli Hernandez then made the game closer as he cleared the bases with a 3-run home run over the left-field fence to make it 15-13. Joe Kinneberg and Book then drew walks. After a second out, Ohu was at the plate and struck out swinging, but the catcher dropped the ball and it rolled to the backstop and both runners scored to knot the game at 15-15, sending it to extra innings.
The top of the eighth saw Miles get lead-off singles by Jaedon Jordahl and Jake Lacey followed by a 3-run home run by Tim Holyk for the 18-15. Miles added one more as Thomas O'Connell scored on a wild pitch for the 19-15 lead.
WNCC answered in a big way as they were patient at the plate looking for good pitches to hit. Johnson and Jones started things by drawing walks. Hernandez loaded the bases after he drew a walk. Kinneberg scored the first run as he got a 9-pitch walk to force in one run. That set up Book, who took the first pitch deep over the centerfield fence for the walk-off grand slam and the game-winner.
"Book said it felt good when he saw the ball go off his bat and over the centerfield fence.
"It was pretty good and a really good feeling," Book said. "But we have another series with Otero at the end of this week so we have to focus on that and get ready for Otero."
Miles outhit WNCC in game two 18-15. The Pioneers' Holyk had four hits in the contest with three home runs. Holyk had seven RBIs. Jordahl also had two home runs, while Miles' Mason Flanary and Jake Lacey each had one home run.
WNCC had five players register multi-hit games in the second contest. Hernandez led the way with four hits, including a double, home run, three runs scored and four RBIs. Book had two hits with three runs scored, five RBIs, and the grand slam.
Also registering at least two hits were Rollins with two RBIs and two runs scored, Kinneberg with two doubles, two RBIs, and four runs scored, and Ohu with a double and two RBIs. Jones scored four runs on just one hit.
Wyatt Zsidisin picked up the win, tossing the eighth inning in scattering four hits, allowing four runs and striking out one. Also seeing action in the contest were Archer Blumenshein with two innings pitched. Aiden Schultz also tossed two innings in allowing three runs and striking out three. Alliance's JJ Garza went three innings in scattering six hits and six runs.
Miles used eight pitchers in the contest, including Torrington's Caeden Riley and Cameron Murphy. Riley pitched the fourth in not allowing a hit and walking just one. Murphy pitched 1 1/3 innings in allowing just one hit and striking out one.
The first game was a sterling pitching performance from Potter, who had a perfect game going through three innings and a no-hitter entering the fifth to help lead the Cougars to the 11-1 win.
Potter faced just 18 batters in five innings of work in allowing two fifth-inning hits including a solo home run while striking out eight and walking just one.
Offensively, the Cougars had 10 hits including three doubles and two home runs. Jones led the offensive attack with three hits with a double, a run scored, and four RBIs. Rollins and Hernandez each had two hits. Rollins had a home run with three RBIs, while Hernandez had a double. Quinn McCafferty had a home run with three RBIs and two runs scored.
The first two innings were scoreless. WNCC finally broke open the offense with three in the third on 3-run home run by McCafferty. WNCC extended the lead to 8-0 with five in the fourth. The Cougars loaded the bases and Jones drove in two with a 2-run double. Rollins then cleared the bases with a 3-run home run for the 8-0 lead.
Potter gave up his no-hit attempt when Miles' Kaleb Breeze went deep with a lead-off solo home run.
WNCC ended the game in the fifth as the Cougars scored one run on a Dalton Nelson sacrifice fly before Jones scored the final two runs on the walk-off single.
WNCC will have little time to bask in the come-from-behind win as they will host Otero College in a four-game series on Thursday and Friday. First pitch at Cleveland Field is slated for 12-noon. Book said they need to play better to pick up wins over Otero in Empire Conference action.
"We have to play way better than what we did today," Book said. "
Game 1
Miles 000 01 – 1 2 0
WNCC 003 53 – 11 10 0
WP – Will Potter.
2B – Eli Hernandez, Jack Jones, Sergio Tarango.
HR – Quinn McCafferty, Jordan Rollins.
Game 2
Miles 240 310 54 – 19 18 2
WNCC 011 040 95 – 20 15 3
WP – Wyatt Zsidisin.
2B – Eli Hernandez, Dylan Howard, Ethan Johnson, Joe Kinneberg 2, Spencer Ohu.
3B – Jack Jones.
HR – Drew Book, Eli Hernandez.