STERLNG, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team went 1-1 in the first day of the Region IX Tournament in Sterling, Colorado.

                The Cougars opened the tourney Thursday morning with a tough 4-1 loss to McCook Community College. WNCC rebounded in the elimination bracket by rolling over Lamar Community College 19-6.

                WNCC will face Luna Community College Friday in another elimination game at 12:30 p.m.

                In the first game of the day against McCook, the Cougars couldn't get the clutch hit when needed in falling to McCook 4-1.

                McCook scored first with a run in the first for the 1-0 lead. WNCC came back to load the bases in the second on a single by Erin Hurst and two walks, but couldn't get a run in.

                WNCC did finally score in the third to tie the game. Victoria Wharton singled followed by a Cronquist single. Hurst got a single to score Wharton with the tying run.

                McCook went back in front 2-1 with a run in the bottom of the third and then added two insurance runs in the sixth for the 4-1 lead.

                WNCC was barely outhit by McCook 6-4. Hurst had two hits while DemiRae Woolsey had a double.

                The second game didn't start the way WNCC wanted. Lamar scored three times in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead. WNCC got a run back in the bottom of the second when Sianna Lewis delivered a lead-off home run.

                Lamar added two runs in the fourth for a 5-1 lead. WNCC came back in the bottom of the third and took the lead. Wharton led things off with a single followed by a single by Hurst. Wharton came in to score on a throwing error and then Hurst scored on a DemiRae Woolsey single. Cronquist followed with a double and then Lewis was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The third run came in as Baylie Krueger was hit by a pitch and then Morgan Dustin plated another run with a single to tie the game at 5-5.

                WNCC wasn't through as Arianah Plorin reached on an error to score another run and then Devyn Prisilec singled in two to make it 8-5. Wharton then walked to put two on. Hurst came through with a bad-hop single to plate Priselac to lead 9-5. Cronquist got another RBI as she ripped a single up the middle followed by a Lewis double to score another run to make it 11-5. WNCC scored three more runs on free passes to lead 14-5.

                Lamar plated one more run in the fourth, but WNCC answered with five in the fourth on just four hits for the 19-6 lead. WNCC would never look back after that inning to get the win.

                Other scores in the tournament saw Luna Community College top Otero College in the first game of the day 7-2. After WNCC fell to McCook, Trinidad State then defeated Lamar 20-0. Northeastern would then topple Luna 18-5 in one of the winner's bracket semifinals while the other winner's bracket semifinal pitted Trinidad against McCook with McCook earning a 3-2 win.

Game 1
WNCC                   001 000 0 – 1 5 6
McCook               101 002 x – 4 6 1
LP – DesaRae Woolsey.
2B – DemiRae Woolsey.

Game 2
Lamar                    032 10 – 6 6
WNCC                   01(13) 5x– 14 11
WP – Caley Leslie.
2B – Chloe Cronquist, Sianna Lewis
HR – Sianna Lewis.