Lauren Oxford had two game-winning hits and the Western Nebraska Community College softball team won their 17th straight by capturing a hard-fought doubleheader from Trinidad State Junior College in Region IX conference action.
Oxford delivered a clutch 2-run double in the sixth inning to put WNCC ahead and the Cougars went on to post a 10-2 six-inning win. Oxford ended the first game with a walk-off 2-run home run. The second game was another defensive battle with the Cougars scoring two, sixth-inning runs to escape the Trojans 3-2.
WNCC moves to 43-7 overall and more importantly are 23-3 in conference play with four conference games remaining. Trinidad falls to 17-7 in the conference and 32-13 overall.
WNCC and Trinidad will be back on the diamond at Volunteer Field for another doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.
"I think we played well as a team," Oxford, of Las Vegas, Nevada, said. "We battled back. We didn't let the adversity that we felt with Whit getting injured let it affect us. We knew we needed to play hard and do it for each other."
Thursday's doubleheader win is the fourth straight contest that the Cougars scored runs in the sixth or seventh innings to get the wins. WNCC did the same thing against McCook on Wednesday. Oxford said that is a positive trait of this team.
"Never giving up is one of our best qualities," Oxford said. "Fighting through adversity before going to the playoffs is an important aspect to go through so we know we can do it."
The second game was one of those games where WNCC had to battle back on a couple occasions. Trinidad took the lead twice in the game, scoring runs in the second and fifth innings off of home runs by Samantha Glover and Courtney Vigil to hold a 2-1 lead.
WNCC tied the game at 1-1 with a single run in the third when Haille Weber doubled in Courtney Medina with the tying run. After Trinidad went ahead on Vigil's towering home run that cleared the scoreboard, WNCC fought their way back in front with two sixth-inning runs.
Weber started the inning by earning a walk followed by a bunt single by Kenzie Sawyer. After both runners advanced on a passed ball, Jasmine Wessel scored the tying run with a sacrifice fly. Oxford then scored Sawyer with the winning run with a solid single to rightfield.
WNCC managed eight hits in the second game with Oxford and Weber each getting two hits. Weber had two doubles with a run scored and a RBI, while Oxford had the RBI to score the go-ahead run.
Andy Hancock picked up her second win of the day, tossing the final 3 2/3 innings after Whitney Fields had to leave after getting injured. Hancock allowed one run while giving up three hits and striking out two.
Fields went 3 1/3 innings in allowing one run, four hits, and striking out three.
Hancock also took the win in game one, going six strong innings in scattering five hits and allowing two runs. Hancock also struck out 10 in facing just 27 batters.
The Cougar bats gave Hancock plenty of run support late. Offensively, WNCC pounded out 11 hits with seven extra base hits.
Medina, Wessel, Oxford, and Jade Morton all finished with two hits each. Oxford had a double, home run, four RBIs and a run scored.
Wessel's two hits were both doubles with a RBI and two runs scored. Medina had two singles with a run scored, while Morton had a double and a RBI.
WNCC took the early lead with a run in the second only to watch Elizabeth Aguilar get a big two-out single to score two to put Trinidad up 2-1 in the fourth.
WNCC came back to take the lead in the fifth. Christian Bobian led off by reaching on an error and the Weber was hit by a pitch. With both runners in scoring position with two outs, Oxford came through with a deep fly to leftfield that hit the fence to score the go-ahead runs and the 3-2 lead.
WNCC added seven runs in the sixth on five hits, including run-scoring doubles by Bobian and Wessel, a 2-run triple by Weber, a run-scoring single by Sawyer, and the game-ending 2-run home run to centerfield by Oxford.
Game One
Trinidad 000 200 – 2 5 2
WNCC 010 027 – 10 11 0
WP – Andy Hancock; 2B – Christian Bobian, Jasmine Weesel 2, Lauren Oxford, Jade Morton; 3B – Haille Weber; HR – Lauren Oxford.
Second Game
Trinidad 010 010 0 – 2 7 0
WNCC (43-7) 001 002 x – 3 8 0
WP – Andy Hancock; 2B – Haille Weber 2.