LAS VEGAS, N.M. -- The Western Nebraska Community College softball team is finding their stride down the stretch as the Cougars outscore Luna Community College 52-9 in the 4-game series including taking two games on Easter Sunday for the series sweep.
                Easter Sunday saw the Cougars scored nine times in the fourth inning in the first game to post a 17-13 win. The second contest saw Cougar pitcher Kallie Stocking toss a 1-hitter as the Cougars got home runs from Alyssa Albaugh, Lydia Tibbals, and Tina Horton in posting the 12-3 win. Tibbals was a single away from hitting for the cycle.
                It was the Cougars 13th straight win and the longest since the team won 17 games back in 2016. WNCC moves to 23-21 overall and 14-6 in conference play.
                “All around it’s been really fun. Coop and Kallie did a phenomenal job in the circle all weekend. They really trusted their defense behind them and showed a lot of composure when runners did get on to leave them there,” coach Courtney Medina said. “The defense has come so far and it’s nice to see their hard work pay off, everyone was going all out and bodying up balls and making hard plays look easy.
                “Offensively, we can execute a little bit better and the girls know that but they have really good short-term memory and are able to string together quality at bats. They shortened up and weren’t trying to do too much and they were really successful. Our playte approach was really good this weekend.”
                Sierra Hilgner said this weekend was a good weekend for the team as they continue to build toward the regional tournament.
                “The team played really well. Everyone did a job one way or another in every aspect of the game and we produced well throughout the whole lineup,” Hilgner said. “We’ve been playing very well on both sides of the ball. Our defense and our pitching has been great with our pitchers getting us lots of outs and our bats being able to back them up.”
                On Friday, the Cougars won 9-0 and 14-3 then, after a day off because of whether the Cougars returned to the field in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and out-scored the Roughriders 29-6. Medina said the games weren’t perfect, but the teams know what to do to minimize runs and score themselves. In the 13 game winning streak, WNCC has scored their opponents 154-29.
                “The team played really today but there is always room for improvement. We didn’t start out as hot as we should especially after they such a great standard on Friday, but everyone stepped up and into their roles today so it was fun to watch,” Medina said. “Everyone wanted to work hard for each other and to get everyone into the game so I think that really showed how great our culture is. Everyone wanted everyone to get an opportunity and to do well and I think that speaks really highly to the character of the girls.”
                WNCC will wrap up the regular season this weekend with a 4-game series home and away with conference leading McCook Community College. McCook leads the conference at 18-2 followed by Otero at 18-6. Four wins by WNCC this weekend will give them a share of the conference title as all three teams would be 18-6.
                WNCC travels to McCook for a doubleheader on Friday and then will host McCook on Sunday with sophomore recognition day.
                “I don’t think we’re thinking about anything other than we want to celebrate our sophomores for all the work they have put into this program and play hard but take it one game at a time just like we have been,” Medina said. “We’re trusting our process and are going to continue to do the same things that we have been without trying to get too big or think too much about anything else.”
                Easter Sunday’s contests were similar starts as WNCC never scored in the first inning in both contest. It was the next four innings in each game that saw the Cougars do the damage.
                The second game saw a one-hit performance from Stocking as she struck out eight batters in five innings of work.
                Offensively, the Cougars pounded out 16 hits with nine going for extra base hits. Tibbals led the way with three hits, which included a double, triple, and home run. Six other batters all had two hits each.
                Mitchell tallied two doubles with three RBIs, while Sierra Hilgner and JoLee Huffaker each had two single, Tina Horton had a triple and home run with three RBIs, Mykah Klumpp had a double with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Alyssa Albaugh had a home run with two runs scored.
                After not scoring in the fist, WNCC plated four runs in the second inning. Klumpp scored the first two runs when she hit a double. After a single by Albaugh, Mitchell plated two more runs with a double for the 4-0 lead.
                The third inning saw Tibbals get a single and scored on a Huffaker single for the 5-0 lead.
                WNCC followed with two in the fourth as Albaugh got her first collegiate home run with a solo shot to make it 6-0. Horton followed with a triple and scored on a Mitchell sacrifice fly for a 7-0 lead.
                Luna came back with three runs in the fourth to make it 7-3, but the Cougars put the game with five runs in the fifth. Tibbals started the fifth with a solo blast. Huffaker and Klumpp both single and then Horton blasts a 2-out 3-run home run for the 11-3 lead. Mitchell follows with a double and scores on a Hilgner single for the final run.
                The first game of the day was very similar to the second game as the Cougars managed 13 hits but had just three extra base hits. Mitchell led the way with three hits with a triple with two runs scored and an RBI. Horton, Hilgner, and Faythe Lafirenza all had two hits. Huffaker scored three times in the game as did Horton.
                Cooper picked up the win going 3 2/3 innings allowing three hits, three runs, and striking out three. Stocking tossed the final 1 1/3 innings in allowing just one hit while facing just five batters.
                WNCC had to battle back from a deficit in the first game as Luna struck first with a run in the first innings. WNCC came right back with four in the second with the big hit being a Mitchell triple that scored a run to make it 3-1. Mitchell scored on a Hilgner single for the 4-1 lead.
                Luna came right back to plate two runs in the bottom of the second on a 2-run home run to make it 4-3. WNCC came right back and went to town after that, scoring a single run in the third as Tibbals led off with a triple and scored on a ground out.
                WNCC plated nine runs in the fourth to make it 14-3 after four. Horton started the inning with a single and manufactured nine runs in the frame that included a run-scoring double by Horton in her second at-bat in the frame.
                WNCC added three more runs in the fifth for the 17-3 lead. WNCC loaded the bases and Stocking got a single to score two runs. Reagan Werth then scored another run on a ground out for the 17-3 lead. Stocking allowed just one Luna hit in the fifth and got two fly balls and a ground out to end the game.
                “We’re excited to host family and friends this Sunday for our eight sophomores on sophomore day,” Medina said. “This group has been huge for our culture and they deserve to be celebrated.”  

Game 1
WNCC                041 93 – 17 13 2
Luna                    120 00 – 3 4 3
WP – Kayli Cooper.
2B – Tina Horton.
3B – Lydia Tibbals, Randi Mitchell.
 
Game 2
WNCC                041 25 – 12 16 2
Luna                    000 30 – 3 1 0
WP – Kallie Stocking.
2B – Randi Mitchell 2, Lydia Tibbals, Mykah Klumpp.
3B – Lydia Tibbals, Tina Horton.
HR – Alyssa Albaugh, Lydia Tibbals, Tina Horton.