The Western Nebraska Community College softball team went to Texas to play six games against some top competition. While they went 0-6 on the road trip, they had some competitive contests.
WNCC opened the trip against the 13th-ranked Trinity Valley Community College. On Friday, the Cougars fell to the Cardinals 9-1 and 8-0. On Saturday, WNCC faced TVCC once again and lost 8-0 and 6-3.
Then, on Sunday, the Cougars faced 16th-ranked Paris Junior College and dropped a couple competitive games falling, in game one 9-2 and then losing a heartbreaker where starting pitcher Kayli Cooper went the distance, striking out seven, before Paris won 3-0.
Sunday's contests against Paris were a mixed bag. In the first game, Paris scored once in the first before the Cougars tied the game with a run in the top of the second when Viktoria Sarkanyova and Tori Travers each singled. Travers would later score on a Alyssa Albaugh hit to tie the game.
Paris came back with two in the second and one in the third to lead 4-1. WNCC added another run in the fifth. Mykah Klumpp singled and scored on a Sierra Hilgner single. Paris added five more runs in the sixth for the 9-2 win.
WNCC had seven hits in the contest, led by JoLee Huffaker getting two. Tina Horton had the only extra base hit with a double.
The second game against Paris was a defensive contest by both teams. Paris scored first with a run in the first and later added two in the sixth for the 3-0 lead. Hilgner had the only extra base hit with a double in the first inning. The other hit came from Elli Soper with a single.
In the 4-game series with Trinity Valley, the Cougars started off game one on Friday hot as they held Trinity Valley scoreless for the first three innings. The Cardinals then added two in the fourth and six in the sixth for the 8-0 win.
WNCC had just two hits, both singles from Lydia Tibbals and Jenika Fuentes.
Game 2 on Friday was just one bad inning where Trinity Valley scored nine runs in the third. WNCC got a run back in the fourth when Huffaker singled and then scored on a Horton single.
Saturday's games with Trinity Valley started as the Cardinals won the first game 8-0. The second game was much better as it was a battle against the 13th-ranked team. WNCC came out strong in the first inning, scoring three times. It all started when Soper walked followed by Hilgner getting a bunt down and reaching on an error. Later Adi Duke got a single and Hilgner and Duke each scored on a Lydia Tibbals singles. Tibbals also came in to score on an error to make it 3-0.
Trinity Valley came back with a run in the bottom of the first and then tied the game with two in the fourth. The Cardinals then scored one in the fifth and two in the sixth to get the 6-3 win.
WNCC had seven hits in the contest, led by Tibbals with two hits and two RBIs.
WNCC will be back in action with four home dates beginning Saturday when they host Ft Hayes Technical Northwest on Saturday and Sunday followed by home games with Miles Community College on Monday and Tuesday.
Sunday's Games
Game One
WNCC 010 010 0 – 2 7 4
Paris 121 005 x – 9 11 2
LP – Jenika Fuentes.
2B – Tina Horton
Game Two
WNCC 000 000 0 – 0 2 0
Paris 100 002 x – 3 7 0
LP – Kayli Cooper.
2B – Sierra Hilgner.
Saturday's Games
Game One
WNCC 000 00 – 0 2 3
T. Valley 104 3x – 8 5 0
LP – Jenika Fuentes.
Game Two
WNCC 300 000 0 – 3 7 0
T. Valley 100 212 x – 6 10 1
LP – Kayli Cooper.
Friday's game
Game One
WNCC 000 000 – 0 2 3
T. Valley 000 206 – 8 7 0
LP – Kayli Cooper.
Game Two
WNCC 000 10 – 1 5 3
T. Valley 009 0x – 9 10 0
LP – Kallie Stocking.