WNCC softball splits with Lamar
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LAMAR, Colo. – It was a tale of two games for the Western Nebraska Community College softball team as they split a conference doubleheader with Lamar Community College Saturday afternoon in Lamar, Colorado.
The first game saw WNCC plate 12 runs in the third inning as they cruised to the 18-3 win behind the pitching of Lexi Butterfield.
The second game it was the other way as Lamar held WNCC to just four hits in earning the 9-0 win.
The two teams will be back at it Sunday for another conference doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. The Cougars will then depart for Texas for their Spring Break week of games.
The first game saw the Cougars plate two runs in the first inning as Macyn Hartman and Mackenzie Bakel reached base via a hits-batsman and a walk. Hartman scored on a fly out and then Bakel scored on a ground out.
Lamar sliced the lead in half with a run in the second. WNCC responded with 12 runs in the third to go up 14-1. The big inning started when Erin Hanafin walked and scored on a Butterfield single. Emma Schweitzer and DemiRae Woolsey were hit by a pitch to load the bases. Taylor Klein and Bailey Blanchard each walked to bring in one run. Victoria Wharton scored two on a single for a 7-1 lead. Hartman followed with a run-scoring single followed by Bakel smacking a double to score Hartman to make it 10-1.
The lead widened after Butterfield doubled in two runners. Klein then ripped a triple to score Butterfield and Schweitzer to make it 14-1.
Lamar came back with three in the third to make it 14-3, but the Cougars added two runs each in the fourth and fifth.
The fourth inning saw Schweitzer deliver a 2-out single to score Hartman and Hanafin to make it 16-3.
WNCC’s two fifth-inning runs saw Bella Mumford start off with a single followed by Wharton with a run-scoring double. Wharton scored on a Hartman single to make it 18-3.
WNCC finished with 12 hits. Wharton led the way with three hits including two doubles, two runs scored, and three RBIs.
Three other Cougars had two hits each. Hartman had two singles with three runs scored and three RBIs, while Bakel had a double with two runs scored and an RBI. Butterfield had a double with two runs scored and three RBIs.
Klein finished with a triple and three runs scored, while Hanifan had three runs scored. Schweitzer had two runs scored and three RBIs with her single.
Butterfield picked up the win in the circle, going all five innings in allowing six hits with three runs scored and striking out two and walking just one.
The second game saw Lamar limit the Cougars to just four hits and the Runnin’ Lopes defense made plays to hold the Cougars without a run after WNCC plated 18 in the first game.
Neither team scored in the first two innings. It was the third inning that Lamar broke the ice with five runs and then added four more in the fourth for the 9-0 lead.
WNCC had a chance in the fifth to keep the game going when Bella Coffman had a double and Mackenzie Bakel delivered a single. WNCC loaded the bases, but the Cougars couldn’t get a run across to keep the game going.
WNCC had just four hits in the contest. Bakel had two hits in the contest and Coffman had the only extra base hit.
Game 1
WNCC 20(12) 22 – 18 12 4
Lamar 013 00 – 3 6 2
WP – Lexi Butterfield.
2B – Victoria Wharton 2, Mackenzie Bakel, Lexi Butterfield.
3B – Taylor Klein.
Game 2
WNCC 000 00 – 0 4 3
Lamar 005 4x – 9 11 0
LP – Lexi Parker.
2B – Bella Coffman.