GARDEN CITY, Kan. – Sunday and Monday were high scoring games for the Western Nebraska Community College baseball team.
On Sunday, the Cougars swept a conference doubleheader from Lamar Community College 17-9 and 19-3. Then, on Monday, the Cougars split a non-conference double-dip from Garden City Community College to wrap up the 3-day road swing.
The first game against Garden City saw the Cougars score first, but saw Garden City score runs in all six innings in earning the 15-5 win. The second game was a little different as the two teams combined for 20 hits and 24 runs as the Cougars earned the 13-11 win.
WNCC started the second game with a bang as they led 6-0 after two innings, scoring four times in the opening inning.
Roangeraud Fraai and Eli Hernandez started the inning earning walks. Shintaro Inoue scored Fraai with a single. Bryce Peterson then loaded the bases as he earned a walk. With two outs, Isaac Smith doubled in three runs for the 4-0 lead.
WNCC added two more in the second when Fraai and Hernandez earned walks again. Inoue then blasted a 2-run home run for the 6-0 lead. WNCC added a single run in the fourth when Jacob Jackson tripled in Drew book for the 7-0 lead.
Garden City scored five in the bottom of the fourth to make it 7-5. The Cougars came right back with four in the fifth inning all with two outs. The big hit was a Book double to score Inoue and Peterson for the 11-5 lead.
Garden City came back with two in the fifth and three in the sixth to cut the deficit to 11-10. The seventh saw WNCC plate two important runs. Hernandez led off by being hit by a pitch. Inoue then tripled to make it 12-10. Smith then singled to score Inoue with the 13th run.
The Broncbusters tried a seventh-inning run with a solo home run and then a single, but Short got the final out on a flyball to rightfielder Fraai to cap the win.
WNCC was led at the plate by Inoue, who went 4-for-5 from the plate and was a double shy of hitting for the cycle. Inoue had a triple, home run, four runs scored, and five RBIs. Smith and Book each had two hits with a double. Book had two RBIs with a run scored while Smith had four RBIs.
WNCC utilized three pitchers in the win. Hunter McCollum started and went four innings in not allowing a run in the first three innings. McCollum finished his time on the hill giving up five hits, five runs, and striking out five.
Grant DeClue followed with 1 2/3 innings of work in allowing three hits and four runs, while Adrian Short picked up the save, going 1 1/3 innings in giving up two hits and two runs.
Game one started out strong as Hernandez doubled and scored on a 2-out Peterson home run for the 2-0 lead.
That was the last time the Cougars would lead as Garden City plated five in the first and single runs in the second and third for a 7-2 lead.
WNCC did score three in the fourth to slice the lead to 7-5. WNCC loaded the bases with three free passes. Garrett Dodd scored the first run on a passed ball and then Alex Ainsworth scored on a Fraai sacrifice fly. McCollum scored on a Hernandez single.
Garden City came right back and scored four in the bottom of the fourth and then added three in the fifth and one in the sixth to end the game on the 10-run rule.
WNCC was out hit 11-4 in the contest. Hernandez led the way at the plate with two hits, including a double. Peterson had a home run with two RBIs.
WNCC will be back in action Friday and Saturday when McCook Community College comes to town for Empire Conference action at Cleveland Field.
Game 1
WNCC 200 300 – 5 4 4
Garden City 511 431 – 15 11 2
LP – Mytchell Pollock.
2B – Eli Hernandez.
HR – Bryce Peterson.
Game 2
WNCC 420 140 2 – 13 10 2
Garden City 000 523 1 – 11 10 0
WP – Grant DeClue.
2B – Drew Book, Isaac Smith.
3B – Shintaro Inoue, Jacob Jackson
HR – Shintaro Inoue.