TRINIDAD, Colo. – Andy Hancock and Whitney Fields were sensational in the circle and the Western Nebraska Community College bats were sizzling as the Cougars captured a Region IX doubleheader win over conference-leading Trinidad State Junior College Sunday afternoon in Trinidad, Colorado.

                In the opener, Hancock struck out eight in allowing just four hits while the Cougar bats ripped 13 hits in capturing the 7-1 win. The second game saw Fields toss her second-consecutive one-hitter while the offense managed 14 hits in rolling to the 16-0 five-inning win.

                WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff was pleased with the way her team played Sunday as well as Saturday.

                "It was nice to see the team play well," she said. "I was extremely pleased with our pitching staff and defense. We got timely hits and scored runs early. Always nice to go on the road and win."

                The wins over Trinidad vaults the Cougars to the top of standings with an 8-2 mark and 12-4 overall. Trinidad and Otero are in second with 6-2 records.

                Sunday's performance was a team win as the team pitched well, hit well and committed no defensive errors. In the opener WNCC jumped to a 1-0 lead and led 6-0 after three innings after plating five runs on seven hits in the third. Haille Weber had a big 2-run single and then Payten Davies had a run-scoring double for the 6-0 lead.

                WNCC went up 7-0 with a single run in the fourth as Christian Bobian singled home Courtney Medina.

                OF the Cougar's 13 hits, only two were extra base hits. Fields and Davies had the only doubles in the game. Medina led the way with three singles with three runs scored and two stolen bases. Bobian, Weber and Jasmine Wessel each had two hits. Weber had three RBIs, while Bobian had two RBIs and two stolen bases.

                Hancock allowed just one run in the game, a sixth-inning solo home run. Other than that, the sophomore faced just 26 batters in tossing 103 pitches with eight strikeouts.

                Fields was even more dominating in game two, facing just 17 batters in five innings of work. Fields surrounded one hit and walked one while striking out eight.

                Offensively, the Cougars finished with 14 hits with four doubles and a home run.

                WNCC was led by the three-hit attack of Medina, Weber, and Wessel. Medina had three singles, three runs scored, two RBIs, and two stolen bases, while Weber had two singles, a double, three RBIs, and three runs scored. Wessel had two singles, a double, two RBIs, and two runs scored. Kenzie Sawyer finished the game with three RBIs and a home run.

                Osford and Bobian each had two hits in the game. Bobian had four RBIs with two runs scored, while Oxford had a double and RBI.

                WNCC put the second game away early, scoring 11 runs in the third inning on nine hits. Sawyer had the big hit in the game blasting her third home run of the season with a 3-run shot to centerfield. Oxford followed Sawyer's home run with a double. Medina then had a run-scoring single followed by Bobian ripping a 3-run double. Wessel then doubled home Weber for the 12-0 lead.

                WNCC added four runs in the fourth on five hits, including a run-scoring double by Weber.

WNCC will next be in action Wednesday when they travel to North Platte Community College before a four-straight-day home stand beginning Friday against Western Texas College.

First Game

WNCC                   105 100 0 – 7 13 0

Trinidad                000 001 0 – 1 4 2

WP – Andy Hancock; 2B – Whitney Fields, Payten Davies.

Second Game

WNCC (10-4)      01(11) 40 – 16 14 1

Trinidad (16-7)   000 00 – 0 1 3

WP – Whitney Fields; 2B – Christian Bobian, Jasmine Wessel, Haille Weber, Lauren Oxford; HR – Kenzie Sawyer.