LaJunta, Colo. — The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team went 1-3 over the weekend in Empire Conference games with Otero Junior College in LaJunta, Colo, but did go out on a high note by winning the last game 1-0 on a 1-hitter by Brian Kelley.

Saturday was something of a lost cause for the Cougars as they lost 3-0 and 10-1. Sunday started better, but the first game was still a disappointment.

WNCC jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the 2nd on a Tanner Thompson double,  a run-scoring triple by Isaac Block, an RBI single by Joe Moran and and a 2-run single by Dioniisio Diaz, but couldn’t hold hte lead.

Otero scored twice in the bottom of the 2nd, cut the margin to 1 in the 3rd, tied it in the 6th, and got the walk-off victory in the 7th.

Bradley Brown went six strong innings, scattering 4 hits and striking out 7 but allowing 4 runs before giving way in the 7th to Mason Munford, who took the loss.

That set the stage for Kelley’s pitching gem. While he kept the Rattlers off-balance all game and struck out 4, his teammates…who had only 5 hits themselves….came up with some big defensive plays to help.

The only run of the game came in the top of the 5th when Thompson hit a 2-out double and scored on a single by Matt Zilla. The Cougars threatened the next inning when Ty Wilson hit a triple, but couldn’t score.

Saturday, Otero got all 3 of its runs in the first game in the 3rd inning, then in Game 2 spotted the Cougars a run in the 1st before scoring the last 10 runs in the game

WNCC will next be in action this week with games in Arizona. WNCC will play six games in four days, beginning with a contest against Phoenix College on Wednesday. WNCC will then play GateWay Community College on Thursday before facing Chandler-Gilbert and Cochise on Friday. The Cougars will wrap up the Spring Break trip on Saturday with a doubleheader against Tavapai.

 

Sunday’s Games

First Game

WNCC                   040 000 0 — 4 5 2

Otero                    021 001 1 — 5 5 0

LP — Mason Munford; 2B — Tanner Thompson; 3B — Isaac Block.

 

Second Game

WNCC                   000 010 0 — 1 5 0

Otero                    000 000 0 — 0 1 1

WP — Brian Kelley; 2B — Tanner Thompson; 3B — Ty Wilson.

 

Saturday’s Games

WNCC                   000 000 0 — 0 4 1

Otero                    003 000 x — 3 5 0

LP — Brett McPhail; 2B — Brian Kelley.

 

Second Game

WNCC                   100 000 0 — 1 9 7

Otero                    012 034 x — 10 7 0

LP — Tyler Pollock; 2B — Oscar Perez.