The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team had missed opportunities in their Saturday doubleheader with Southeast Community College in Empire Conference action at Cleveland Field.

                Game one saw the Cougars grab an early 3-1 lead before the Storm stormed back with five in the fifth to take the opening game of the doubleheader 8-4.

                The second game of the double-dip saw WNCC hold a 2-1 lead before the Storm scored 10 times in the middle innings of the 9-inning contest in racing to the 11-5 win.

                The two squads will wrap up the series when they play another doubleheader Sunday at Cleveland Field beginning at 12 noon.

                The first game was an evenly played contest with some good pitching. WNCC starter Valentin Blanc went five innings and allowed six runs and four hits. Five of those runs came in the fifth inning. Archer Blumenshein tossed the final two innings where he allowed just two runs, three hits, and struck out five.

                The Cougars managed six hits in the contest with two home runs, but the team left too many scoring opportunities on base in suffering the loss.

                WNCC scored first when Roangeraud Fraai singled. WNCC loaded the bases as Eli Hernandez walked and Shintaro Inoue singled. Fraai scored on a double play hit. Still, WNCC loaded the bases as Drew Book walked, but WNCC left the bases juiced.

                Southeast got one back in the second to knot the score. The Cougars retook the lead with two in the third. Fraai singled followed by a 2-run home run by Inoue to make it 3-1.

                WNCC stayed on top until the fifth when the Storm scored five times on three hits and three walks for a 6-3 lead. The Cougars got one back with a single run in the sixth to make it 6-4 when Book led off with a solo home run.

                Southeast added two insurance runs in the seventh for the final margin.

                WNCC was led at the plate by Inoue who went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs, and a run scored. Fraai had two singles with two runs scored while the other hit came from Book, which was a solo home run.

                The second game saw the Cougars get on top early behind a strong pitching performance from Firmin Hassed, who went the first five innings.

                Southeast scored first with a run in the first only to watch the Cougars score twice in the third for a 2-1 lead. The third saw Hunter McCollum reach on an error and score on a double by Hernandez. Hernandez came in to score on an Inoue single.

                The Cougars stayed in the lead until the fourth when Southeast scored three times for a 4-2 lead. Southeast added two more in the fifth for a 6-2 lead. WNCC cut the deficit in half with a run in the fifth when Inoue scored on a wild pitch.

                The Storm kept plating runs as they scored four in the sixth for a 10-3 lead. WNCC got two back in the bottom of the frame as Dylan Howard and Dylan Harris record singles. McCollum loaded the bases with a single. Howard scored on a wild pitch for the first run. Fraai then walked to load the bases. Harris scored on a double play hit. WNCC loaded the bases once again with two outs, but couldn't get any more in.

                Southeast finished off the scoring with a run in the seventh.

                WNCC was outhit in the contest 14-8. WNCC was led at the plate by Howard and Harris with two singles each along with a run scored.

Game 1

Southeast            010 050 2 – 8 7 2

WNCC                   102 001 0 – 4 6 1

LP – Valentin Blanc.

HR – Drew Book, Shintaro Inoue.

Game 2

Southeast            100 324 100 – 11 14 3
WNCC                   002 012 000 – 5 8 4

LP – Firmin Hassed.

2B – Eli Hernandez.