WNCC baseball splits with Otero on Sunday

 LA JUNTA, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team split a Empire Conference doubleheader with Otero Junior College on Sunday in La Junta, Colo.

                In the opening game, the Rattlers scored four first-inning runs in rolling to the 9-4 win. The second game, Nick Hernandez tossed a complete-game five-hitter in leading the Cougars to a 4-1 win.

                Hernandez was sensational on the mound for the Cougars as the freshman struck out two and scattered five hits while facing just 28 batters. Hernandez also received plenty of run support in getting the win.

                WNCC opened the second game by plating two runs in the first and a single run in the second.

                WNCC started the game as Josh Bride was plunked by a pitch and then scored on a double by Jose Gonzalez. Max Brennen followed with a single followed by Oscar Familla scoring Gonzalez on a fielder’s choice ball for the 2-0 lead.

                Oters sliced the lead in half at 2-1 in the bottom of the frame, but the Cougars came back with a single run in the top of the second. Keaton Krause and Trevor Kriesel had back-to-back singles. Krause would later score for the 3-1.

                WNCC added an insurance run in the sixth inning has Familia tripled and scored on a passed ball.

                WNCC had eight hits in the contest as Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with a run scored, a RBI, and a double. Familia had one hit, a triple, along with a run scored, a RBI, and a stolen base.

                In the opener, WNCC pounded out seven hits and tried a late-inning comeback, but Otero’s early runs was too much for the Cougars to overcome. Otero bolted to an 6-1 lead after three innings and went up 8-1 after five. That was when the Cougar bats started to come alive, scoring a single run in the sixth and two more in the seventh.

Brennen started the sixth with a single and scored on a Familia single. The seventh saw Andy Padron belt a one-out single followed by Josh Bride walking. Gonzalez followed with a run-scoring double followed by Bride scoring on a Brennen sacrifice fly.

                WNCC pounded out seven hits. Familia led the way with a 2-for-3 contest with a run scored and RBI. No other Cougar had more than one hit.

                Gianfranco Bernal took the loss on the mound, going five innings in scattering nine hits, allowing eight runs and striking out just one. Brett McPhall also saw action, tossing the sixth inning in allowing a run on two hits and striking out two.

                WNCC, 8-9, will next be in action Wednesday when they face South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Ariz.

First Game

WNCC                   010 001 2 – 4 7 2

Otero                    402 021 x – 9 11 1

LP – Gianfranco Bernal; 2B – Jose Gonzalez.

Second Game

WNCC                   210 001 0 – 4 8 0

Otero                    100 000 0 – 1 5 2

WP – Nick Herndandez; 2B – Jose Gonzalez; 3B – Oscar Familia.