PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team started their Arizona Spring Break trip off with a contest with Madison College in Phoenix, Arizona, falling to Wolfpack out of Madison, Wisconsin, 4-1.

                The Spring Break opener was actually a competitive contest as WNCC's Hunter McCollum threw five scoreless innings to open the game and was matched by Madison's Adison Tevz, who also went five scoreless innings.

                McCollum finished the game with six innings pitched in allowing six hits, four runs, walking four, and striking out five. Cameron Spence tossed the final three innings in not allowing a hit or run in walking two and striking out two.

                It was the sixth that had all the scoring in it. Madison scored first with a single and then a double to score a run to make it 1-0. WNCC got two outs and then an error and a walk ballooned into three more runs for the 4-0 Madison lead.

                WNCC came back with a run in the bottom of the sixth when Kensei Oikawa walked and Shintaro Inoue singled. With two outs, Tyler Easter reached on an error to load the bases. Ashton Ross then came through with a first-pitch single to score one run, but that was it as the Cougars left the bases juiced.

                WNCC managed just four hits in the contest with Inoue going 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored. Ross and Dodd each had a hit, with Ross collecting the RBI.

                WNCC will continue the Spring Break trip with a doubleheader with Central Arizona College on Monday followed by single games with South Mountain Community College on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Madison (4-4)                   000 004 000 – 4 6 1
WNCC (8-11)                    000 001 000 – 1 4 1
LP – Hunter McCollum.
2B – Shintaro Inoue.