STERLING, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team had a never-say-die attitude in their games in their games on Monday they used that attitude late in the games to capture their ninth straight wins by sweeping over Northeastern Junior College Monday in Sterling, Colorado.
WNCC got a strong pitching performance from Kayli Cooper, who picked up both wins as the sophomore combined for 14 strikeouts in 13 innings of work on the day.
The first game saw Cooper strike out eight as the sophomore tossed the shutout in the 3-0 win. The second game, Cooper went six innings with six strikeouts, but it was Mykah Klumpp's 2-run home run in the seventh that tied the game and then the Cougars won 4-3 in extra innings to get the sweep.
WNCC coach Courtney Medina said the team showed plenty of grit all day to get the wins.
"The team showed grit all day today," Medina said. "We didn't play to the caliber that we have been, but Coop did a phenomenal job of keeping us in the ball game and thankfully we were able to make the necessary adjustments and got it together in time to win both."
It was a day where the Cougars scored two runs each in the seventh inning and the second game, the two runs were needed to just tie the game in the Cougars last bat in regulation. Winning games like this shows how much fight and heart the team has.
"It's super important for us to win and the ability to win with clutch hits and solid defense was super reassuring that we're on a good track to put together more good ball games," Medina said. "We haven't had to work from behind in a few games so it was really nice to see them fight. We talked before the seventh inning and I asked them 'who do you want to be and how do you want to be remembered?' They responded with they wanted to be remembered 'for never saying die and having grit' and I think that showed today."
JoLee Huffaker, who scored twice in the first game and had a big double in game two, said the team knew they could get the tying runs in the seventh inning to keep the game going and they went into that final at bat focused.
"Going into the seventh inning and we were down, I think that all of our mindsets were we can do it; it was only two runs," Huffaker said. "We've scored a lot more runs than that in the seventh inning so we just needed to pull our hits together and work for the runs so that Coop would have more relief with trusting her defense to hold them and finish the game."
The two wins Monday keeps the Cougars' hopes alive to possibly host a first-round playoff contest. To do that, though, they have to win series against their next two opponents. WNCC faces Luna Community College this week and then wraps up the regular season with a home-and-home doubleheader April 25 and 27. McCook leads the conference at 14-2 while Otero is 15-5. WNCC is 10-6 in conference play and 19-21 overall, while Trinidad State is 9-7 and in fourth place. Only the top four teams qualify for the regional tournament.
Huffaker said they just need to come out stronger and more hungry for a win in the final games.
"We didn't come out as strong as we should have (Monday) but we never gave up and it showed to pull out the two wins," Huffaker said. "We just need to come out hungry for some more runs against Luna. The hard work that we've been putting in is paying off; we just have to be hungry for the win."
Game two saw NJC take the 1-0 lead with a run on an error in the second inning. WNCC came back to tie the contest with a run in the fourth inning. Kallie Stocking reached on an error in the outfield and then scored on a 2-out double by Huffaker.
NJC came right back to plate three in the fifth for a 3-1 lead. Neither team scored again until the seventh when the Cougars' backs were against the wall. With two outs, Lydia Tibbals singled to left field to get on. Klumpp then took the second pitch and sent the ball over the centerfield fence to tie the game.
NJC came back in the bottom of the seventh and put runners in scoring position with two outs, but Cooper got a flyball that Sterling, Colorado, native Ellie Soper caught in leftfield to send the game to extra innings.
WNCC took control in the eighth as Tina Horton singled and was sacrificed into scoring position by Randi Mitchell. Sierra Hilgner was plunked by a pitch and then Kallie Stocking scored Horton after hitting into a fielder's choice for the go-ahead run.
NJC got the first runner aboard in the bottom of the eighth, but the Cougar defense settled in in getting a ground out, line out, and a fly out to end the game.
WNCC had just five hits in the second game as Tibbals had two singles while Huffaker had a double with an RBI and Klumpp had the home run.
The first game was a good defensive performance by WNCC as they allowed just three hits. WNCC managed just five hits in the contest led by Huffaker and Stocking with two hits each. Both batters had a run scored and an RBI. Mitchell scored the other run.
Neither team scored in the first three innings. WNCC finally broke the ice in the fourth as Huffaker singles. Tibbals then tries to sacrifices Huffaker over but reaches on an error and Huffaker came in to score on the error for the 1-0 lead.
The score stayed that way until the seventh when the Cougars added two insurance runs. Mitchell was hit by a pitch and then Sierra Hilgner reached on an error. Stocking followed with a single to score Mitchell. WNCC loaded the bases after a single by Klumpp. Huffaker then gets a fielder's choice hit to score Stocking with the third run and that was they needed.
The big key in the win was different people came up big at different times whether at bat or on defense. That was something that Medina liked about the gutsy effort by her team on Monday.
"You can't teach the type of selflessness that the group had today," Medina said. "Kayli has been such a big leader by example for us all year and it's nice for her to get the recognition she deserves with registering all four wins this series (against NJC). She works so incredibly hard and always wants what's best for the team. A pitcher is only as good as their team. A pitcher is only as good as their catcher and Randi did a phenomenal job calling pitching and sticking with their plan. She's so calm behind the plate. She is a huge reason for our success on the mound. The culture this group has is amazing and it took 1-19 to step up and into their roles for us to win today and they did that for each other."
Game 1
WNCC 000 100 2 – 3 5 0
NJC 000 000 0 – 0 3 5
WP – Kayli Cooper
Game 2
WNCC 000 100 21 – 4 5 3
NJC 010 020 00 – 3 4 1
WP – Kayli Cooper.
2B – JoLee Huffaker.
HR – Mykah Klumpp.