TRINIDAD, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team is still alive as they captured a 13-9 win over Trinidad State College in the second game of the best-of-three series Saturday in Trinidad, Colorado, to move on to the 4-team bracket play next weekend in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

                Other teams that moved on to next week's tournament included Southeast Community College, who received a bye, included McCook Community College who defeated Lamar Community College 20-13 on Saturday, and Otero College who defeated Northeastern Junior College in three games.

                WNCC coach Mike Jones said his team played well and battled through some tough innings.

                "We played well. We were able to battle through the first couple innings where it was back and forth, guys kept their composure, and were able to put together some really good at bats there in the middle," Jones said.

                Jones said Clayden Brandon came in out of the bullpen and shut down the Trinidad offense after the Trojans went up 9-4.

                "Clayden Brandon pitched an excellent game out of the bullpen and Archer (Blumenshein) came in and got us the close. So, it was a full team effort once again."

                The Cougars entered the post season having lost three straight to McCook and had the No. 4 seed from the North. Now, the Cougars are still alive for a Region IX title as they head into tournament play next weekend. Jones said this win shows how much this team kept believing in themselves.

                "I am extremely proud of the. You are talking about a group of guys that had a lot of struggles throughout the season," he said. "They continued to come to practice every day and get their work in. They never gave up. Everybody bought into the plan and what it would take to get there, so I am really proud of them."

                WNCC got the win with an offensive attack that had 14 hits including five doubles, one triple and four home runs, and some stellar pitching out of the bullpen. Branden picked up the win in relief of starter Firmin Hassed in tossing the middle 4 2/3 innings in scattering five hits and allowing just one run while striking out four. Archer Blumenshein tossed the ninth to get the save as he struck out two in the final inning.

                Offensively, five different Cougars had multi-hit games. Eli Hernandez led the way with a 3-for-3 contest with two doubles, a home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored. Max Adam had two hits including a triple with three RBIs and two runs scored.

                Bryce Peterson had two hits with an RBI and run scored along with Drew Book, who had a double, home run, two RBIs. And two runs scored. Hunter McCollum had two doubles with two runs scored. Inoue had a home run with three RBIs and two runs scored, while Tyler Easter had a home run with two RBIs.

                WNCC scored first when they scored three runs in the second all on solo home runs from Hernandez, Book and Easter for the 3-0 lead. Trinidad came back to score two in the bottom of the second.

                WNCC added a single run in the third for a 4-2 lead when Hernandez had a 2-out double to score Inoue. The Trojans tied the contest with two in the bottom of the frame and took a 9-4 lead with five runs in the fourth inning on six hits.

                WNCC came right back and retook the lead at 10-9 with six runs in the fifth. McCollum started the inning with a double and scored on an Adam triple. The offensive onslaught continued as Peterson had a run-scoring single followed by a 2-run home run by Inoue. WNCC tied the game at 9-9 when Book doubled in Hernandez and then took the lead as Book scored on a fielder's choice hit.

                WNCC added three insurance runs in the eighth. Dylan Harris led things off after being plunked by a pitch followed by McCollum recording a double. Both scored on an Adam single and Adam scored on a Inoue fielder's choice hit.

                WNCC's defensive effort in the last five innings was key as the Cougars held the Trojans without a run and just three hits.

                Times and official pairing for the tournament next week will be out early next week, but Jones said they should be facing Southeast in the double elimination tournament while McCook will battling Otero.

WNCC                   031 060 030 – 13 14 2

Trinidad                022 500 000 – 9 13 0

WP – Clayden Brandon; S – Archer Blumenshein.

2B – Drew Book, Eli Hernandez 2, Hunter McCollum 2.

3B – Max Adam.

HR – Drew Book, Tyler Easter, Eli Hernandez, Shintaro Inoue.