MCCOOK – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team earned a split with McCook Community College in key conference action on Friday.

                In the first game, McCook scored 10 runs in the first two innings and then held on for the 10-2 win. The second game saw a strong pitching performance from Kayli Cooper as the Cougars earned the 4-3 win.

                Friday's win was important for the Cougars as they kept their season alive for a post-season tourney bid. WNCC is 9-13 in conference play and just one game out of the final playoff spot, which is held by NJC at 10-10. NJC has a 4-game series with conference-leading Trinidad State this weekend. WNCC will wrap up the regular season on Sunday when they host McCook at Volunteer Field.

                The second game was a complete team effort as the Cougar defense played well behind a strong pitching performance from Cooper, who struck out four and scattered nine hits with just one walk.

                Mykah Klumpp started the second-inning rally when she led off with a double and scored on a Randi Mitchell single. Two batters later, Katelynn Czerpak singled in the second run.

                The fourth inning proved to be a big play for the Cougars on defense. McCook loaded the bases with just one out. Cooper got the next batter to hit a grounder where shortstop Sierra Hilgner through home to get the force out. The next batter then hit a flyball to rightfielder Devyn Priselac as WNCC got out of the inning leaving the bases loaded.

                WNCC used that defensive stop to plate another run in the fifth. Czerpak led off with a single and scored on a 2-out double by Jenika Fuentes for the 3-0 lead. WNCC defense got McCook out 1-2-3 in the fifth and then allowed just a walk to the McCook offense in the sixth.

                WNCC added a key insurance run in the seventh when Priselac led off with a single and scored on a single by Czerpak. WNCC loaded the bases but couldn't get another run in.

                The seventh saw McCook get two on to try to make a comeback. With two outs, the Indians scored two runs, but Cooper got the final out on a grounder to shortstop where the runner was called out because of offensive interference to get the win.

                WNCC outhit McCook in the game 10-9. Czerpak had three hits in the contest followed by Fuentes with two. Czerpak scored a run with an RBI, while Fuentes had two doubles with an RBI.

                In the first game, WNCC scored first when Czerpak led off with a double and scored two batters later on a Fuentes double.

                McCook came right back to score six in the first and four in the second to lead 10-1. After that, the Cougar defense held McCook to zero runs and hits in the third and fourth inning.

                WNCC mounted a comeback in the fifth to keep the game going. Devyn Priselac led off with a one-out single followed by Czerpak getting a single. Sierra Hilgner followed with a run-scoring single to make it 10-2, but that was all WNCC could manage.

                WNCC managed six hits in the contest, led by Fuentes with two hits including a double. Czerpak also had two hits with a double and a run scored. The other run scored came from Priselac.

Game 1
WNCC                 100 01 – 2 6 2
McCook              640 0x – 10 7 1
LP – Bella Pacheco.
2B – Jenika Fuentes, Katelynn Czerpak.

Game 2
WNCC                 020 010 1 – 4 10 0
McCook              000 000 3 – 3 9 2
WP – Kayli Cooper.
2B – Jenika Fuentes 2, Mykah Klumpp.