TRINIDAD, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team had strong pitching from Lexi Butterfield and timely hitting in topping Otero Junior College 5-3 in the second day of the Region IX tournament in Trinidad, Colorado.
The Cougars will now face McCook Community College in an elimination game at 12:30 p.m. Monday in Alamosa, Colorado, after the tournament was moved to Adams State College because of unplayable fields.
Emma Schweitzer, who was named as an all-region catcher on Sunday, said it was a big win for the team.
"Today was an amazing day," Schweitzer said. "We came out with tons of energy and we really played together. This game was a team win. Everyone did their job and even if things didn't go our way, we didn't let it affect us. With that, we sent Otero home and extended our stay in the Region IX tournament. We know we have a tough challenge tomorrow [Monday] starting with a game against McCook, but we are ready."
Besides Schweitzer being on the all-region team, Mackenzie Bakel was named an all-region outfielder.
As for the game itself, it definitely was a team win.
Butterfield went seven innings in scattering five hits and allowing just three runs while striking out five Otero batters.
Offensively, the Cougars managed six hits, including three extra base hits, including home runs by Chayden Chong and Erin Hanafin.
A big key in the game was the Cougars defense. WNCC held Otero scoreless through the first three innings.
Offensively, WNCC struck first with a single run in the second innings. Bella Coffman walked followed by Chloe Cronquist getting a walk. Briana Henson then had a 2-out single to score Coffman with the first run of the game.
WNCC made it 2-0 with another run in the fourth inning. The run was a solo home run by Hanafin, who belted the ball over the fence to open the inning.
Otero came back to grab a 3-2 lead after scoring one in the fourth and two in the fifth.
WNCC retook the lead at 4-3 with two runs in the sixth inning. Coffman led off with a single followed by Hanafin earning a walk. Mackenzie Bakel then reached base on a fielder's choice hit. Hanafin and Bakel each scored on a Cronquist double to put the Cougars back on top.
WNCC added an insurance run in the seventh as Chong led off the frame with a solo shot over the leftfield fence.
The Cougars then came back out onto the field and got three straight outs. The first was a fly out to Bakel in centerfield followed by Butterfield getting a strikeout for two outs. The third out came on a line out to left fielder Coffman to get the win.
WNCC had six different players register a hit. Hanafin had the home run with two runs scored while Cronquist had a double with two RBIs Also collecting RBIs on the day were Butterfield, Chong, Coffman, and Henson.
WNCC 010 102 1 – 5 6 4
Otero 000 120 0 – 3 5 0
WP – Lexi Butterfield.
2B – Chloe Cronquist.
HR – Chayden Chong, Erin Hanafin.