STERLING, Colo. – The Western Nebraska got the offense going in picking up a doubleheader sweep of Northeastern Junior College in Region IX conference play Wednesday afternoon in Sterling, Colorado.
Andy Hancock tossed a 2-hitter and the Cougar offense pounded out 20 hits in registering a 15-0 win. The second game was just as offensive-minded with the Cougars pounding out 16 hits in picking up the 13-2 win over the Plainswomen.
WNCC, 8-4 overall, moves to 4-2 in conference play while NJC drops to 0-6. WNCC will be back in action this weekend with two important conference contests, facing Lamar Community College on Saturday and then conference-leading Trinidad State on Sunday.
Wednesday's contests was all WNCC. WNCC finished the game with 20 hits, including seven extra base hits. Christian Bobian led the way with a 4-for-5 performance with a double, triple, three RBIs, and two runs scored.
Courtney Medina tallied three hits in four at bats with a double, a run scored, and a RBI.
Also picking up multiple hits were Haille Weber, Lauren Oxford, and Payten Davies. Davies finished with two hits, including a double. Davies also had three RBIs and two runs scored. Oxford had a single, a triple, two RBIs and a run scored, while Weber had two singles with two RBIs and two runs scored.
While the offense was clicking on all cylinders, the defense also played well. Hancock went four strong innings allowing just two hits while striking out four. Davies finished off the game with a strong fifth-inning in inducing three ground outs to close out the game.
WNCC took control of the game from the get-go, scoring five times in the first and putting the game away with a 9-run fifth inning. The big hits in the first frame included doubles from Medina and Jasmine Wessel, while Bobian had a run-scoring triple.
The fifth inning was even more spectacular as the Cougars scored all nine runs with two outs. Whitney Fields got the first hit with a single and then Bobian doubled home Fields for the first of the frame. The Cougars then ripped off six singles in the frame and a double by Davies. A big hit was a bunt single by Cassie Jones to score another runs and then Bobian closed out the inning by picking up a single in scoring the Cougars' ninth run of the frame.
The second game was also a good offensive game in a different way. WNCC managed 16 hits with 14 being singles. Bobian and Sawyer had the only extra base hits with doubles in the frame.
Six different Cougars had two or more hits in the contest. Sawyer finished the game with three hits, including two RBIs and three runs scored. Medina, Bobian, Oxford, Davies, and Celyn Whitt each had two hits.
Wessel, Davies, and Whitt each had two RBIs in the contest, while Medina and Davies each scored two runs.
The Cougars also stole seven bases in the game, led by two from Sawyer.
Fields and Davies combined on the seven hitter. Fields picked up the win going four innings in allowing two, first-inning runs. Fields also struck out five in the 18 batters she faced.
Davies pitched the fifth and did a good job, facing just five batters in allowing a hit, walking one and striking out three.
The game was close for two innings, tied at 2-2. WNCC put the game away with a three-run third and then eight runs in the fourth. All three runs in the third came with two outs. After Sawyer doubled, WNCC got run-scoring singles from Davies and Whitt.
The fourth inning was just as impressive. WNCC scored eight runs on eight hits including just one double, a run-scoring two-bagger from Bobian. Bobian had two hits in the frame.
First Game
WNCC 510 09 – 15 20 0
NJC 000 00 – 0 2 3
WP – Andy Hancock; 2B – Christian Bobian, Jasmine Wessel, Courtney Medina, Kenzie Sawyer, Payten Davies; 3B – Bobian, Lauren Oxford.
Second Game
WNCC (8-4) 203 80 – 13 16 0
NJC (1-16) 200 00 – 2 7 2
WP – Whitney Fields; 2B – Bobian, Sawyer.