BORGER, Texas – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team opened up the season with a doubleheader sweep of Frank Phillips College Thursday afternoon in Borger, Texas.

                In the opener, Lauren Oxford had a home run and five RBIs to lift the Cougars to the 18-2 win. The second game saw the Cougars pound out 13 hits while pitcher Sarah Linford tossed a five-inning, four-hitter in the 13-4 win.

                WNCC opened the season by pounding out 20 hits in game one. WNCC finished with six doubles and two home runs in the game.

                Six different players finished with more than a hit. Oxford was perfect in the game, going 3-for-3 with a double, home run, four runs scored, and five RBIs. Oxford blasted her home run in the fifth with one aboard.

                Also collecting three hits were Cassie Jones, Julia Suchan, Celyn Whitt, and Emily Selby. Jones had three singles with a run scored; Suchan had three doubles, two runs scored, and two RBIs; Whitt had a double, two runs scored, and two RBIs; and Selby had a double, with a run scored and three RBIs.

                Alyssa Guymon had two hits, blasting a lead-off solo shot in the fifth inning. She also had a double, two runs scored, and two RBIs.

                Ashley Thomas was solid in the circle, allowing seven hits in five innings of work. Thomas struck out two and allowed just two fifth-inning runs.

                WNCC started the second game where they left off in the first game, opening with six first-inning runs. Frank Phillips cut the lead in half at 6-3 after three, but the Cougars added a single run in the fourth and six in the fifth for the 13-4 win.

                Oxford finished the game with three hits, all singles. Oxford had two runs scored and two RBIs.

                Suchan and Selby each had two hits each. Suchan had two singles with two runs scored and two RBIs, while Selby blasted a first-inning 2-run home run, finishing with two runs scored and two RBIs.

                Wessel, Guymon, and Ana Apodaca all had doubles in the win, while Whitt had a triple.

                Linford went five innings in the circle, scattering four hits, striking out three and walking three.

                WNCC, 2-0, will be back in action Friday and Saturday when they travel to face Western Texas College.

Game One

WNCC                   329 04 – 18 20 0

Frank Phillips      000 02 – 2 7 3

WP – Ashley Thomas; 2B – Emily Selby, Jasmine Wessel, Celyn Whitt, Sarah Linford, Alyssa Guyman, Lauren Oxford; HR – Guymon, Oxford.

Game Two

WNCC                   600 16 – 13 13 1

Frank Phillips      003 10 – 4 4 0

WP – Sarah Linford; 2B – Jasmine Wessel, Ana Apodaca, Alyssa Guymon; 3B – Celyn Whitt; HR – Emily Selby.