The Western Nebraska Community College and Otero College softball teams soaked up the warm weather Thursday at Volunteer Field and it was the Otero bats that were hot as the Rattlers claimed the conference doubleheader.
                The first game saw Otero score nine runs in the third and fourth innings and that was the difference as the Rattlers won 13-10.
                The second game was a good pitcher’s dual as the two teams played strong in the circle and on the defense. In the end, Otero snuck out with the 4-1 win.
                The first game was a wild one as Otero scored first with a run in the opening inning. WNCC answered with three in the first to grab a 3-1 lead. WNCC loaded the bases in the first with two outs on walks and hits-batsman. JoLee Huffaker scores all three as the centerfielder let the ball go over head and Huffaker reached third.
                Otero came back with three in the third and then six in the fourth to take a 10-3 lead. WNCC sliced the deficit in half with two runs in the fourth. WNCC had a prime opportunity to cut into the lead in the fifth when they loaded the bases with just one out, but couldn’t get a clutch hit to score any runs.
                Otero scored three insurance runs in the seventh, all with two outs. Those three runs would prove to be the winning runs since the Cougars made a mad dash to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh.
                Huffaker started the seventh-inning attack by reaching on an error and scored on a Adi Duke single. WNCC loaded the bases after Randi Mitchell was hit by a pitch and Alyssa Albaugh earned a walk. Tina Norton singles to score pinch-runner Reagan Werth and Mitchell t make it 13-8. Albaugh would come in to score on an error on a throw to make it 13-9. Horton scored the final run on a sacrifice fly by Sierra Hilgner.
                Otero outhit WNCC in the game 11-4. WNCC had singles from four players with Horton and Hilgner each getting two RBIs while Mitchell scored two runs.
                The second game saw Otero score two in the third and single runs in the fourth and sixth to lead 4-0. WNCC.
                WNCC had a chance to score first in the first inning as Mitchell doubled, but the Cougar catcher was left stranded on base. It wasn’t until the sixth inning that the Cougars would get another baserunner and that was when they scored to make a comeback.
                The sixth saw Horton reach on a 2-out double and scored on a Albaugh single, who beat out an infield single to make it 4-1.
                The seventh saw WNCC make a rally as the Cougars had two on at one time, but couldn’t get a run in.
                WNCC had just four hits in game two with three of the hits being extra base hits. Mitchell, Horton and Huffaker each had a double.
                The two teams will wrap up their 4-game series on Friday at Volunteer Field with an 11 a.m. start.               
 
 Game 1
Otero                   103 600 3 – 13 11 5
WNCC                300 200 5 – 10 4 6
LP – Jenika Fuentes.
 
Game 2
Otero                   002 101 0 – 4 8 1
WNCC                000 001 0 – 1 4 6
LP – Kayli Cooper.
2B – Randi Mitchell, Tina Horton, JoLee Huffaker.
 
WNCC baseball splits with McCook on Thursday
 
                MCCOOK – The Western Nebraska Community College and McCook Community College traded shutout wins on Thursday in McCook in Empire Conference action.
                WNCC received a complete-game pitching performance from Clayden Brandon in game 1 as the right-hander went all seven innings in allowing just three hits for the 5-0 win.
                Game two saw WNCC outhit McCook 8-7, but the Cougars just couldn’t get  key hit to score any runners as McCook captured the 9-inning, game two 4-0.
                Game one was a complete win for the Cougars as they scored five early runs and then let the defense and Brandon take care of the rest for the win.
                WNCC started the game as the first three batters all drew walks to load the bases. Landon Lockwood scored the first run as he hit a sacrifice fly. Cooper Wilson scored the second run as he scored on a wild pitch for the 2-0 lead.
                The second inning was just as impressive as Will Harbinson walked and Tucker Deal singled to put two on. Harbison and Deal each scored on a fielding error. Jase Satterfield later scored on a sacrifice fly for the 5-0 lead.
                WNCC did load the bases in the fifth with one out, but couldn’t get any runners in.
                WNCC managed just five hits in the opener as Catcher Gladysh had two of the hits. Jase Satterfield had two RBIs in the win.
                Brandon struck out four and walked just two in the complete game victory. Brandon faced just 25 McCook Indians in seven innings of work.
                McCook scored first as J. Bullock rocketed a 2-run home run in the second. McCook went on to add single runs in the third and fourth innings to lead 4-0.
                WNCC tried coming back in the third when Austin Cooper led off the inning with a double, but he was left stranded on base.
                WNCC had an opportunity in the fifth when Cooper and Matt Levesque each singled, but the two were left stranded once again.
                The seventh was the same as the fifth as Cooper Burgess and Harbison each singled to lead off the inning, but the Cougars failed to get the base hit to get the runners to home plate.
                The ninth saw WNCC get two on with two outs as Cooper walked and Ren Sato singled, but that was it.
                Levesque and Cooper each had two of the Cougars’ eight hits.
                The two teams will be back in action Friday when McCook travels to WNCC for another doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at Cleveland Field.
 
Game 1
WNCC                320 000 0 – 5 5 0
McCook             000 000 0 – 0 3 4
WP – Clayden Brandon.
 
Game 2
WNCC                000 000 000 – 0 8 0
McCook             021 100 00x – 4 7 0
LP – Julian Garza.
2B – Austin Cooper.