LAMAR, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team dropped an Empire Conference doubleheader to Lamar Community College on Saturday.
The first game saw WNCC give up seven, fourth-inning runs in falling to the Lopes 11-3. The second saw WNCC lead 4-2 before Lamar scored seven runs in their final three at bats to claim the 9-5 win despite four home runs by the Cougars.
WNCC battled in the second game as WNCC took the 1-0 lead on a Shintaro Inoue solo home run. Lamar tied the game with a single run in the second, but the Cougars went back on top 2-1 with a Max Adam home run.
Lamar tied the game with a run in the bottom of the third. The Cougars came back with two in the fourth on back-to-back lead-off home runs by Bryce Peterson and Drew Book for a 4-2 lead. Lamar scored three times in the bottom of the frame to take a 5-4 lead and they never looked back as they added two runs each in the fifth and sixth before the Cougars plated on in the seventh.
No Cougar had more than one hit as Adam, Book, Inoue and Peterson all had solo home runs, while Eli Hernandez had a double.
The first game saw Lamar score four runs in the first three innings. WNCC sliced the deficit in half with two in the fourth inning as Hunter McCollum singled in Jake Jackson and then Tyler Easter was forced in on a bases-loaded walk. WNCC left the bases juiced as they couldn't score again.
Lamar came back and scored seven in the bottom of the frame on eight hits for a 11-2 lead and never looked back.
WNCC managed just three hits in the game. Ashton Ross led the way with a 2-for-4 game while Inoue had a home run with two RBIs.
The two squads will be back in action Sunday for another doubleheader.
Game 1
WNCC 000 201 0 – 3 6 1
Lamar 121 700 x – 11 16 2
LP – Adrian Short.
HR – Shintaro Inoue.
Game 2
WNCC 101 200 1 – 5 6 1
Lamar 011 322 x – 9 8 3
LP – Firmin Hassed.
2B – Eli Hernandez.
HR – Max Adam, Drew Book, Shintaro Inoue, Bryce Peterson.