The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team split a doubleheader with Northeastern Junior College on Saturday at Cleveland Field.
In the opener, Alex Michaud and Nick Vanthillo had home runs as the Cougars captured the 6-5 win. In the second game of the twinbill, Northeastern’s pitchers held the Cougars to just four hits in posting the 7-2 win. Both games were non-conference games.
In the opener, WNCC finished with six extra base hits and needed a solo home run by Nick Vanthillo in the sixth inning to capture the win. The Cougars had just eight hits in the contest. Vanthillo and Alex Michaud each home runs.
Michaud blasted a 3-run shot in the first to put WNCC up 3-2. Gabriel DeLa Rosa smacked a triple down the rightfield line in the fifth to put WNCC up 5-2.
The Cougars also received doubled from JT Core, Cameron Snyder, and Keeton Krause in the contest.
NJC also hit the ball well. The Plainsmen finished with six hits, including a five-RBI game from Taylor Vincent. Vincent had a double and a fifth inning 3-run home run over the right-field fence to tie the game at 5-5.
NJC started the scoring twice in the first off of Vincent’s double before WNCC came back to take the lead at 3-2 on Michaud’s home run. The Cougars scored another run in the second as Gabriel DeLa Rosa tripled home Zach Ostergard for the 4-2 lead.
After NJC tied the game in the fifth, the Cougars took the lead as Vanthillo led off the winner with a line shot over the right field fence.
Jacob Palser, who came in relieve of John Timmins in the sixth, pitched two scoreless innings to get the win. Palser allowed two hits and struck out three to get the win. Timmins also threw well, tossing the first five innings. Timmins scattered four hits, walked five and struck out one.
WNCC had a balanced offensive lineup with eight of the nine guys getting at least one hit.
In the second game, both teams were hooked up in a dandy for the first two innings. Then, in the third, NJC erupted for five runs on five hits, including doubles by Shawn Guerrero and David Head.
NJC added single runs in the fourth and fifth for the 7-0 lead.
The Cougars spoiled the shutout with two runs in the seventh. Snyder singled to lead off the inning and then scored on a triple by Gonzales. Two batters later, Gonzales came racing home on a sacrifice fly by Vanthillo.
Snyder paced the team with two of the four hits. Ostergard and Gonzalez had the other two hits for the Cougars.
Grant Rimington took the loss on the mound, going four innings in allowing six runs on six hits. The Gering graduate also had two strikeouts and walked three.
The Cougars will next be in action next weekend when they travel to Trinidad, Colo., to face Trinidad State Junior College in Empire Conference games.
First Game
NJC 200 030 0 — 5 6 2
WNCC 310 011 zx — 6 8 2
WP — Jake Palser; 2B — Keeton Krause, JT Core, Cameron Snyder; 3B — Gabriel DeLa Rosa; HR — Alex Michaud, Nick Vanthillo.
Second Game
NJC 005 110 0 — 7 8 1
WNCC 00o 000 2 — 2 4 3
LP — Grant Rimington; 3B — DeLa Rosa.