McCOOK – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team split a Region IX conference doubleheader with McCook Community College on Tuesday in McCook.

                Payten Davies had a home run and a double to lead the Cougars to a 10-7 win in game one. The second game saw Davis and Celyn Whitt each collect home runs but it wasn't enough as McCook finished with 12 hits and registered the 8-3 win.

                WNCC falls to 19-9 in conference play and 35-14 overall. The Cougars are percentage points in second place ahead of Lamar Community College, who is 17-9 overall. WNCC has just two conference games left while Lamar has four games left.

                WNCC started slow in game one, falling behind 1-0 after two innings. It was the third and fourth innings that opened up the game for the Cougars. WNCC plated four in the third and three in the fourth for a 7-2 lead.

                The Cougars started the third with three straight singles from Whiit, Julia Suchan, and Madi Jackson. Jasmine Wessel followed with a run scoring double followed by Lauren Oxford ripping a 2-run double for a 4-1 lead.

                Davies started the fourth with a double and scored on a Whitt sacrifice fly. Suchan and Jackson get a single and double followed by a big run-scoring single from Wessel to help the Cougars to the 7-2 lead.

                WNCC added three insurance runs in the seventh. Davies had the big blow with a 2-out, 2-run home run followed by a run-scoring single by Suchan.

                Suchan led the team from the plate collecting four hits, all singles. Suchan had two runs scored and a RBI. Jackson also had good game at the plate, finishing with three hits. Jackson had a double, two runs scored, and a RBI.

                Davies, Whitt, and Wessel each had two hits. Davies had a double, home run, two runs scored, two RBIs, and a stolen base. Whitt had two singles, two runs scored, a RBI and a stolen base, while Wessel had a double, two RBIs, and a run scored.

                Ashley Thomas picked up the win in the circle. Thomas went seven innings, striking out three and allowing four runs and nine hits.

                The second game saw McCook pound out 12 hits and held the Cougar offense to just one run in three different innings. The big hits for the Cougars were two solo home runs. Davis had one in the fifth and Whitt had a seventh-inning bomb.

                Whitt had two of the six hits. The sophomore from Broomfield, Colorado, had a double, home run, two runs scored, and a stolen base.

                Emily Selby also had two hits, including a double. Suchan had a single in the contest while Davies had a home run.

                WNCC will be back in action Sunday for its final regular season contest when they host Northeastern Junior College in a conference doubleheader at 2 p.m. at Volunteer Field. Sunday's regular season finale will recognition the seven sophomores. It will also be Diabetes Awareness Day with a benefit for Life Change Connection, an organization in Scottsbluff that helps individuals with diabetes. On Saturday, team jerseys will be auctioned off on the softball team's Facebook page with proceeds going to Life Change Connection.

First Game

WNCC                   004 300 3 – 10 15 1

McCook               101 001 4 – 7 10 2

WP – Ashley Thomas; 2B – Jasmine Wessel, Madi Jackson, Lauren Oxford, Payten Davies; HR – Payten Davies.

Second Game

WNCC                   100 010 1 – 3 6 6

McCook               510 300 x – 8 12 3

LP – Ashley Thomas; 2B – Emily Selby, Celyn Whitt; HR – Celyn Whitt, Payten Davies.