STERLING, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team split a pair of conference makeup games with Northeastern Junior College and McCook Community College Tuesday in Sterling, Colorado.

                The first game against Northeastern Junior College saw the Cougars Lexi Butterfield toss into the fifth inning in allowing just two runs and the Cougar offense scored runs when they needed in registering the 5-2 conference win over the Plainswomen.

                The second game saw McCook pitchers hold WNCC to just two hits as the Indians captured the 12-1, 5-inning win.

                McCook topped NJC 10-1 in the other game on Tuesday.

                The first game between WNCC and NJC was a strong defensive effort and timely hitting as WNCC won their fourth straight and taking four of five games which included the Cougars taking three of four games at Volunteer Field this past weekend.

                Tuesday's game with the Plainswomen saw WNCC manufacture runs all game. The first inning saw Taylor Klein start things with a 2-out single. Klein came in to score on a Bella Mumford single for the 1-0 lead.

                WNCC added two more in the third as Victoria Wharton doubled and came in to score on a Macyn Hartman 2-run home run.

                WNCC went up 4-0 with another run in the fourth. Chloe Cronquist reached on an error and scored as Wharton delivered a 2-out double to score Cronquist for the 4-0 lead.

                NJC plated single runs in the fifth and sixth to slice the lead to 4-2. WNCC added an insurance run in the seventh when Klein led off with a double. Mumford followed with a walk to put runners on the corners. Mumford stole second and Klein came racing home on the steal at second for the 5-2 lead.

                NJC outhit WNCC 11-8. WNCC made the most of their hits as a pair of Cougars had two hits each. Wharton was 2-for-3 with two doubles, a run scored, and a RBI. Klein also had two hits with a double along with two runs scored.

                Hartman had the other extra base hit with a home run with two RBIs.

                Butterfield got the win going 5 1/3 innings in striking out two, allowing two runs, and scattering 11 hits. Katie McMillan gets the save as she went 1 2/3 innings in not allowing a run or hit and striking out three.

                The second game saw WNCC allow six, second-inning runs and then four, third-inning runs in falling to McCook 12-1.

                WNCC first hit of the game came in the second inning when Erin Hanafin had a 2-out solo home run.

                The second hit came in the third inning when Bailey Blanchard singled.

                That was all the offense for the Cougars as McCook pitchers struck out 10 Cougars of the 15 outs in the game.

                WNCC will be back in action this weekend, weather pending, when they host Luna Community College in the final home regular season games.

Game 1

WNCC                   102 100 1 – 5 8 0

NJC                        000 011 0 – 2 11 2

WP – Lexi Butterfield; S – Katie McMillan.

2B – Victoria Wharton 2, Taylor Klein.

HR – Macyn Hartman.

Game 2

McCook               164 10 – 12 14 0

WNCC                   101 00 – 1 2 4

LP – Katie McMillan.

HR – Erin Hanafin.