The Western Nebraska Community College softball team captured their 20th win of the season with a doubleheader sweep over Luna Community College Monday afternoon at Volunteer Field.
In the opener, the Cougars registered home runs from Kenzie Sawyer, Haille Weber, and Jasmine Wessel for the 10-1 win. The second game saw Whitney Fields and Payten Davies combine on a 11-0 shutout from the circle.
Celyn Whitt, who had a double and three RBIs in game two, said the team played well for their seventh and eighth straight games over the weekend.
"We had a long weekend and we stayed tough through eight games and we came out today and still stayed strong," she said.
Monday's wins were impressive that the Cougars got hits when they needed to and played well defensively on a day that featured a cold rain and blustery winds. The Cougars finished with 20 total hits in the two games including six extra base hits in the nine hits.
"It is important that we stay strong and get those simple hits because sometimes we become too big and we hit the ball up," Whitt said. "It is important that we stay strong with all the school work that we have and the consecutive days we play, we have to make sure we are good teammates and we stay up with each other so we can produce on the field."
WNCC went 6-2 in the recent four-day stretch and playing that many games back-to-back might seem grueling, but Whitt said when you love the game, it doesn't matter.
"Sometimes you get tired, but I don't think there is one girl on this team that doesn't love playing this game," she said. Playing eight games is actually a privilege."
WNCC controlled both games from the beginning. In the opener, WNCC scored three runs in the first and third innings. WNCC scored all three, first-inning runs with two outs. Sawyer started things with a run-scoring single and then Wessel scored two with a double.
The three runs in the third saw Lauren Oxford rib a run-scoring double and then Sawyer towered a 2-run home run over the right field fence.
WNCC put the game away in the fourth by plating four runs. Weber had the big blast with a 3-run home run to right field before Wessel had a solo shot to dead center field.
WNCC pounded out just nine hits with four doubles and three home runs. Wessel paced the team in the win with a 3-or-3 game with three RBIs and a run scored. Wessel also had a double and a home run. Sawyer finished with two hits, two runs scored and three RBIs. Weber also added three RBIs in the game.
Andy Hancock picked the win up in the circle, scattering six hits, one run and striking out three.
WNCC scored in all four innings of the second game, plating two runs each in the first three innings before putting up five runs in the fourth.
Weber had a big run-scoring triple in the first inning to get the offense started concluding with the five-run fourth. The fourth saw WNCC get just five hits, including a 2-run doubles by Oxford and Whitt.
WNCC managed 11 hits in the win, including Weber's 3-for-3 performance. Weber had a triple with three runs scored and a RBI. Whitt had two hits with a double and three RBIs, while Courtney Median had two singles with a run scored and RBI.
Oxford had a double with three RBIs and two runs scored.
Whitney Fields was solid in the circle for four innings, allowing just two hits while striking out five. Payten Davies tossed the fifth in allowing two hits with a strikeout.
WNCC will next be in action Sunday when they host Southeast Community College in a doubleheader.
First Game
Luna 000 01 – 1 6 1
WNCC 303 4x – 10 9 2
WP – Andy Hancock; 2B – Jasmine Wessel, Lauren Oxford, Payten Davies; HR – Wessel, Kenzie Sawyer, Haille Weber.
Second Game
Luna 000 00 – 0 4 3
WNCC (20-5) 222 5x – 11 11 1
WP – Whitney Fields; 2B – Celyn Whitt, Oxford; 3B – Weber.