The Western Nebraska Community College softball team had a lukewarm home-opener, splitting a doubleheader with Western Texas College Friday afternoon at Volunteer Field.

                Western Texas pounded out 12 hits in the opener and shut down the WNCC bats in registering the 11-2 win. The second game saw a back and forth affair with the Cougars scoring in the bottom of the sixth to register the 8-7 win.

                Kenzie Sawyer, who scored the winning run in the sixth, said it was a day where the second game was definitely much better than the first.

                "Our second game was definitely a lot better," the sophomore said. "We did have some defensive errors but we hit a lot better and that helped us a lot."

                The Cougars offense wasn't syncing like it did Wednesday in the doubleheader win against North Platte where they pounded 10 home runs. Friday, the team managed just 13 hits in two games with five doubles and a one home run.

                Sawyer said they need to do a better job at the plate in getting the hit when runners are in scoring position.

                "It seems like sometimes when we don't get a hit right away we get down," she said. "Tomorrow {Saturday] we just need to be patient at the plate, hit when we need to hit, and make defensive plays."

                The two squads will be back at Volunteer Field on Saturday for another doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

                The second game was definitely a little bit better than the first with the Cougars running to a 7-2 lead after five innings. The big inning was a five-run second inning that included 2-run doubles from Christian Bobian and Lauren Oxford.

                WNCC added singles runs in the fourth on a Jasmine Wessel solo home run and then another run in the fifth as Celyn Whitt scored on a Courtney Medina single.

                Western Texas battled back with five runs in the sixth on five hits to knot the score. WNCC answered in the bottom of the frame as Sawyer got things started with a four-pitch walk. Sawyer would come around to score on a Payten Davies single to leftfield.

                That run would hold up as Andy Hancock came in and sat down the Western Texas bats in order with a strikeout and two ground outs to Whitt at second base for the win.

                Western Texas outhit WNCC in the game 11-8. Medina was the only Cougar with two hits with two singles. Medina also had two stolen bases. Bobian and Oxford each had two RBIs in the game, while Whitt and Wessel each scored two runs.

                Hancock picked up the win in relief of Whitney Fields. Hancock pitched the final 1 2/3 innings in allowing two hits and striking out two.

                The first game saw the Cougars take a 2-0 lead after two innings, but they couldn't hold it as the Westerners scored four third inning runs and put the game away with six in the fifth for the win.

                WNCC managed just five hits in the contest, including doubles from Christian Bobian, Sawyer, and Whitt.

                Hancock took the loss, going 4 2/3 innings in allowing 12 hits and 11 runs while striking out five.

First Game

W. Texas              004 16 – 11 12 0

WNCC                   020 00 – 2 5 4

LP – Andy Hanccck; 2B – Christian Bobian, Kenzie Sawyer, Celyn Whitt.

Second Game

W. Texas              010 015 0 – 7 11 0

WNCC (15-5)      050 111 x – 8 8 1
WP – Andy Hancock; 2B – Bobian, Lauren Oxford; HR – Jasmine Wessel.