TRINIDAD, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College softball team opened conference play at Trinidad State College over the weekend and played some competitive games, including two extra-inning contests.
                WNCC managed one win over the weekend when they topped Trinidad State 8-5 on Sunday in game one, while falling in the other three games 11-3 and 6-5 in nine innings on Saturday, and then dropping a thrilling 12-11, nine-inning contest on Sunday.
                WNCC will be back in action this weekend at home against Otero College.
                Sunday’s two games were dramatic to say the least. WNCC captured game one by scoring at least a run in five of the seven innings.
                WNCC scored first in the second inning Mykah Klumpp got a solo home run. Trinidad tied it with a run in the bottom of the second, but the Cougars went up 5-1 with two runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
                The fourth saw Lydia Tibbals single followed by Klumpp with a double. Alyssa Albaugh then laid down a bunt that was looking to go foul, but died on the chalk line for a bunt single to load the bases. Randi Mitchell than scored two on a double for the 3-1 lead.
                The fifth saw Tibbals blast a 2-run home to go up 5-1.
                It was short-lived as Trinidad plated four in the fifth to tie the game at 5-5. That tie was short-lived as WNCC came right back and got two in the sixth. JoLee Huffaker led off with a triple and scored on a Faythe Lafirenza single. Lafirenza scored on a Tima Horton double to make it 7-5.
                The Cougars added an insurance run in the seventh as Tibbals singled and scored on a Huffaker double.
                WNCC outhit the Trojans 12-7. Tibbals and Huffaker each had three hits. Huffaker had a single, double, and triple while Tibbals had a home run with two singles while scoring three times and getting two RBIs.
                Kayli Cooper picked up the win in the circle in relief, going five innings with six strikeouts and allowing four hits and four runs.
                Sunday’s second game was a contest that saw the two teams battle toe-to-toe in the 9-inning contest.
                Both teams scored one in the first as WNCC their run on a Jenika Fuentes double that scored Horton.
                The second inning saw WNCC plate five runs to grab a 6-1 lead. It all started when Albaugh singled to right-field followed by Huffaker earning a walk. Both runners scored on a Tori Travers single. WNCC made it 5-1 as Sierra Hilgner as Travers and Mitchell each scored. Hilgner later scored on a sacrifice fly.
                Trinidad came back with six runs in the bottom of the second to lead 7-6 with four of their runs coming with two outs.
                WNCC went bac in front with three in the fourth as Horton scored on a sacrifice fly followed by Fuentes scoring Tibbals with a single. Fuentes later scored on a passed ball to make it 9-7.
                Trinidad went back in front 10-9 with three in the sixth. WNCC went ahead 11-10 in the seventh when Travers singled in Klumpp and Albaugh for the go-ahead run.
                Trinidad forced extra innings with a run in the seventh with a 2-out single. Trinidad scored the walk-off win with a run in the ninth inning.
                WNCC tallied nine hits in the contest. Fuentes and Travers each had two hits. Travers had four RBIs, while Fuentes and Hilgner each had three RBIs.
                Saturday’s games were a mixed barrel. WNCC fell in the first game 11-3 in five innings and the second game was totally different as WNCC lost the heart-breaker 6-5 in nine innings.
                WNCC scored first in the second game on Saturday with three runs in the third and then went up 5-0 with two in the fourth.
                The third inning saw Horton get a single and then score on a Huffaker triple. Fuentes then made it 3-0 with a 2-run home run. WNCC made it 5-0 in the next frame as Horton got a 2-out single and scored on an Albaugh double. Albaugh later scored on a fielding error.
                Trinidad tied the game with two runs in the fourth and three runs in the seventh, scoring all three runs in the seventh with two outs.
                Neither team scored in the first extra inning and then Trinidad scored in the bottom of the ninth for the walk-off winner.
                Both teams had 10 hits in the contest. Horton and Albaugh each had two hits. Albaugh had a double with a run scored and RBI while Horton had two singles with two runs scored. Fuentes had two Rbis with her home run.         
 
Sunday’s Games
Game 1
WNCC                010 222 1 – 8 12 0
Trinidad             010 040 0 – 5 7 2
WP – Kayli Cooper.
2B – Tina Horton, Mykah Klumpp, JoLee Huffaker, Randi Mitchell.
3B – JoLee Huffaker.
HR – Lydia Tibbals, Mykah Klumpp.
 
Game 2
WNCC                150 300 200 – 11 9 6
Trinidad             160 003 101 – 12 15 3
LP – Jenika Fuentes.
2B – Tina Horton, Jenika Fuentes.
 
Saturday’s Games
Game 1
WNCC                101 01 – 3 6 6
Trinidad             412 13 – 11 12 5
LP – Kaylie Cooper.
2B – Sierra Hilgner.
 
Game 2
WNCC                003 200 000 – 5 10 4
Trinidad             000 200 301 – 6 10 1
LP – Jenika Fuentes.
2B – Alyssa Albaugh.
3B – JoLee Huffaker.
HR – Jenika Fuentes.