The Western Nebraska Community College softball team ran its winning streak to 13 games and stayed on top of the Region IX standings earning a sweep over Otero Junior College on a cold and wet Sunday afternoon at Volunteer Field.

                In the opener, Andy Hancock tossed a 2-hitter and the Cougars scored six five-inning runs to register the 9-1 run-ruled victory. Hancock also picked up the win in game two as the Cougars came back from a 5-4 deficit to register a 9-5 win by scoring five, sixth-inning runs.

                WNCC, 39-7 on the year, have now won 13 straight games and moved to 19-3 in Region IX play. WNCC is just two games ahead of Trinidad State in conference play. Trinidad, who beat Lamar in four games over the weekend, are 16-4 in conference and 31-10 overall.

                WNCC and Trinidad State will play a four-game series on Thursday and Friday. The games were moved because of weather concerns forthe weekend. Thursday's games will start at 3 p.m. while Friday's contests begin at 11 a.m.

                Sunday, however, was a matter of the Cougars getting clutch hits all day in conditions that weren't ideal for fans.

                First game was a pitcher's duel for the first four innings. WNCC scored one in the first as Kenzie Sawyer rocked a run-scoring triple to score Haille Weber.

                The lead stayed that way until the fourth when WNCC added two more runs, Sawyer led off the inning with a solo blast to centerfield. Two batters later, Lauren Oxford skyrocketed a shot to centerfield for the 3-0 lead.

                Otero scored a run in the fifth on no hits, but it didn't matter as WNCC followed with a six-run fifth on six hits. The fifth-inning was a double hitting frame with WNCC blasting four doubles. Payten Davies led off with a double followed by a single by Courtney Medina. Christian Bobian followed with a 2-run double.

                Weber continued the two-bagger onslaught with a run-scoring double for a 6-1 lead. Ceyln Whitt finished off the game with a double that scored Emily Selby with the game-ending run.

                WNCC finished the opening game with 10 hits, seven of which went for extra bases. Sawyer, Oxford, and Davies each had two hits in the contest. Sawyer finished with a triple, home run, two RBIs, two runs scored, and a stolen base.

                Oxford had a home run with two RBIs and a run scored, while Davies had a run scored.

                Bobian finished the game with two RBIs with a double, while Weber scored two runs with a triple and a walk.

                Hancock tossed a strong game in the circle in getting the five-inning win. The righthander struck out four and allowed just two hits. She walked three while facing just 21 batters.

                Hancock continued her strong pitching on the day by getting the win in game two in relief of Whitney Fields. Hancock finished the game, tossing 3 1/3 innings by fanning one, walking two, and allowing a hit in facing just 13 batters.

                Fields allowed five runs in 3 2/3 innings while striking out five and allowing eight hits.

                Offensively, it was a different style of game for the Cougars. Instead of a lot of extra base hits, the Cougars won the game on speed and getting a clutch base hit. WNCC finished the game with eight stolen bases, two each from Sawyer and Medina.

                WNCC grabbed a 4-1 lead early with two runs in each of the first two innings. The first inning was highlighted by a run-scoring double by Weber followed by a run-scoring single by Sawyer. The second inning saw WNCC score both runs with two outs.

                WNCC couldn't hold the lead with Otero adding a run in the third and then taking the lead at 5-4 with a 3-run fourth. WNCC finally busted open with five runs in the sixth on six hits. Jasmine Wessel had a single to score Weber to tie the game and then Oxford blasted a 2-run double to plate Sawyer and Wessel for the go-ahead runs.

                WNCC added two more insurance runs on run-scoring singles by Whitt and Medina.

                Collecting two hits each were Medina, Bobian, and Sawyer. Medina had two RBIs with a run scored. Oxford was the only other one to have more than one RBI with two runs batted in.

First Game

Otero                    000 01 – 1 2 1

WNCC                   100 26 – 9 10 2

WP – Andy Hancock; 2B – Christian Bobian, Haille Weber, Celyn Whitt, Payten Davies; 3B – Kenzie Sawyer; HR – Kenzie Sawyer, Lauren Oxford.

Second Game

Otero                    101 300 0 – 5 9 1

WNCC                   220 005 x – 9 13 1

WP – Andy Hancock; 2B – Haille Weber, Lauren Oxford.