The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team earned a split with McCook Community College on Friday in an Empire Conference doubleheader at Cleveland Field.

                The first game was a dandy as the Cougars came back from a 3-0 deficit, getting a 3-run home run from Vaughn Wilson in the sixth to force extra innings. Then, in the ninth inning, Catcher Gladysh got a walk off single to score Wilson with the winning run for the 4-3 victory.

                The second game saw McCook scored 14 runs in the final four innings to capture the 16-6 win.

                The first game was plenty of exciting and was a good defensive and pitcher's dual between the two Nebraska junior colleges.

                McCook scored one in the first and two in the third for a 3-0 lead. WNCC's offense was sputtering with getting the big hit to score a run. It wasn't until the sixth inning when things turned around.

                Will Harbison led off the sixth with a walk followed by a Tucker Deal single. WNCC's next two batters struck out bringing Vaughn Wilson to the plate. The shortstop from Riverton, Utah, took the first pitch he saw and rocketed over the centerfield fence to tie the game at 3-3.

                Neither team scored in the seventh setting up the extra innings. The eighth inning saw neither team score. The ninth saw McCook go 3-u-3-down setting up the dramatic ninth. Vaughn Wilson led off the ninth with a single. With two outs, Ren Sato singled. That brought Gladysh to the plate and after taking a looking strike, Gladysh got a base hit to centerfield to score Wilson with the winning run.

                WNCC had just six hits in the contest as Wilson had two of the hits with three RBIs and two runs scored.

                Renfrow got the win, going 2 2/3 innings with allowing just one hit and striking out two. Rocco Harmon started and went six innings with five hits and three runs allowed with three strikeouts followed by Marshall Forsyth with a third of an inning.

                The second game started just like the first as McCook plated two first-inning runs. WNCC retook the lead with four runs in the second. The second started when Will Harbison walked followed by a Cooper Burgess single. Harbison scored on a Garrison single. Austin Cooper than put WNCC in front with a 3-run home run for the 4-2 lead.

                McCook took the lead in the fourth with four runs at 6-4, but saw WNCC answer with a single run in the bottom of the frame with Kensei Oikawa at the plate. Oikawa had a full count and fouled off six straight balls. The seventh pitch, the ball didn't go foul, it was a no-doubter home run to right field to make it 6-5.

                McCook came back with a run in the fifth and then seven in the sixth for a 14-5 lead. McCook added two in the seventh while WNCC managed just one run in the defeat.

                WNCC was outhit in game two 16-6. Cooper led the team with a home run with three RBIs. Oikawa had the other extra base hit with a home run.

                WNCC will return to action on Tuesday, April 1 when they are scheduled to host Northeastern Junior College in a contest that was postponed from February.

Game 1
McCook             102 000 000 – 3 6 0
WNCC                000 003 001 – 4 6 1
WP – Alex Renfrow.
HR – Vaughn Wilson.

Game 2
McCook             200 417 2 – 16 16 2
WNCC                 040 100 1 – 6  6 3
LP – Zane Hendrickx.
HR – Austin Cooper, Kensei Oikawa