The Western Nebraska Community College softball team captured its 20th win of the season with a Region IX conference sweep over Northeastern Junior College Thursday at Volunteer Field.
Ashley Thomas tossed a one hit, shutout in game one with the Cougars winning 8-0. The second game saw the Cougar's bats come alive for 18 hits and 18 runs in winning 18-1.
The two wins moves the Cougars to 20-11 on the season and 6-6 in conference play.
Madi Jackson, who went 5-for-5 in the doubleheader, said the team came together today to get the conference wins.
"I thought we played really well," she said. "We came together as a team to execute and get runs in when we needed."
While the offense was there for both games, it was the defense that stood out. WNCC held NJC to just one hit in game one and then allowed just seven hits in game two including thwarting a couple of Plainswomen scoring chances.
The way the defense played Thursday will be crucial coming down the stretch, Jackson said.
While the defense played well with Thomas recording seven strikeouts in the two wins, the offense was more than ready on Thursday. Jackson said anyone in the lineup can get hits.
"One through nine in our lineup have great bats. Anyone can get the job done," she said.
Game two was the big offensive game for the Cougars with seven players finishing with two hits each. WNCC also ripped seven doubles and a home run by Emily Selby in the win.
Jackson and Jasmine Wessel each had three hits. Jackson had a double, two runs scored and two RBIs. Wessel finished with two doubles, two runs scored, and four RBIs.
Collecting two hits each were Celyn Whitt, Julia Suchan, Selby, Cassie Jones, and Payten Davies. Selby and Whitt each went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Selby also added a double in the game. Suchan had a double with three RBIs and three runs scored, while Jones had three runs scored and two walks, and Davies had a double with three runs scored.
WNCC scored once in the first before plating three in the second which included a 2-run single by Whitt and a run-scoring single by Jackson for a 4-0 lead.
WNCC exploded with eight in the third on seven hits and then plated six in the fourth on five hits. The third saw Selby lead off with a solo home run followed by Suchan with a 2-run double, and Wessel and Lauren Oxford with a run-scoring doubles for the 12-0 lead.
The fourth saw Suchan score two with a single. Wessel and Selby each followed with 2-run doubles before Jones finished off the scoring with a run-scoring single.
Thomas struck out five and walked just one in the five innings. She scattered seven hits and allowed no earned runs.
Thomas was just as masterful in the circle in game one, facing just 18 batters in allowing one run, one walk and striking out two.
Offensively, the Cougars finished with 12 hits and scored when they needed to. Of the 12 hits, five went for extra base hits.
Suchan, Jackson, Wessel, and Oxford each had two hits in the win. Suchan had the hot bat that included a double and a first-inning solo home run. The freshman from Canada had two runs scored and two RBIs.
Jackson finished with three runs scored, a RBI, and a double and triple. Wessel and Oxford each had two singles. Wessel had one run scored and one RBI, while Oxford had two RBIs.
WNCC will be back in action this weekend when they are slated to host Lamar Community College on Saturday and Trinidad State Junior College on Sunday.
Jackson said these are important games as the Cougars battle to get within the top four of the conference standings to make the playoffs. Currently, the Cougars are 6-6 in conference play and are percentage points in fourth place. Trinidad State is 6-2 in conference play while Otero is 9-3 and Lamar is 8-4. McCook is 3-3 while NJC falls to 0-14.
"The games this weekend will determine a lot," Jackson said. "They will tell how hard we have been working as a team and it will show what we have been working for."
First Game
NJC 000 00 – 0 1 0
WNCC 331 1x – 8 12 1
WP – Ashley Thomas; Madi Jackson, Julia Suchan; 3B – Emily Selby, Madi Jackson; HR – Julia Suchan.
Game Two
NJC 000 01 – 1 7 1
WNCC (20-11) 138 6x – 18 18 1
WP – Ashley Thomas; 2B – Emily Selby, Jasmine Wessel 2, Madi Jackson, Julia Suchan, Lauren Oxford, Payten Davies; HR – Emily Selby.