The Western Nebraska Community College softball team opened Region IX conference action with a complete team effort Sunday afternoon at Volunteer Field in taking a doubleheader from Lamar Community College.
                The first game saw Kayle Cooper toss a one-hitter while striking out five to get the 9-0 five-inning win in the circle.
                Game two was just as impressive as Kallie Stocking and Jenika Fuentez teamed up on a 2-hitter and the defense was sensational, coming with seconds of turning a triple play in the 9-1 win.
                Lydia Tibbals, who had the walk-off 2-run home run in the second game, said these are big wins for the team and they played together in both games.
                “Our team played together. We really focused on doing small things,” Tibbals, the freshman from Springville, Utah, said. “(Allowing just one run) is really big for us and it shows the defense really has our back and not only the defense has our back, our pitchers gave everything they had.”
                The offense combined for xx hits and there are four doubles hits and one home run, along with plenty of bunt singles. Tibbals said the defense played great as they almost turned that triple play, which shows how strong the defense can be.
                “The defense did phenomenal today,” she said. “We really have been working on it and it finally paid off. “
                The opening game saw the Cougars jump on top with two in the first with three straight singles, including a Run-scoring single by Sierra Hilgner and then a run-scoring single by Randi Mitchell for the 2-0 lead.
                WNCC scored five in the third to take a 7-0 lead. Tori Travers led off with a double and scored on a Mitchell sacrifice fly. WNCC made it 7-0 on a Hilgner single that scored Alyssa Albaugh and JoLee Huffaker.
                WNCC scored two more in the fourth as Travers led off with a double and scores on a ground out. Mitchell scored the ninth run on a passed ball.
                Four players had two hits. Huffaker had two singles with two runs scored, while Hilgner had two singles and two RBIs. Travers had a double with three runs scored and Mykah Klumpp had two singles.
                WNCC started the second game where they left off in the first with plenty of offense. The Cougars scored three runs I the first and second inning for a 6-0 lead.
                The first inning saw Huffaker get a lead-off single and scored on a Hilgner single. Mitchell made it 3-0 with a 2-out, 2-run single.
                The next inning, WNCC gets the first two batters, Klumpp and Albaugh, on base on fielding errors. Both would score on a Hilgner single. Tori Travers scored the sixth run when she touched home plate on a Kallie Stocking double for the 6-0 lead.
                Lamar came back with a run in the third, but WNCC answered that run with one of their own. Tibbals and Klumpp reached base on one-out singles. Tibbals scores on a Huffaker single.
                The fifth was when WNCC ended the contest. Mitchell led off with a single and then Tibbals had a 2-2 count and took the fifth pitch over the right-field fence for the 9-1 win that ended the game.
WNCC was led at the plate by four players with two hits each. Huffaker, Hilgner, Mitchell, and Tibbals all had two hits. Tibbals had a home run with two runs scored and two RBIs. Hilgner had two singles with three RBIs, while Mitchell had a double with two RBIs.
                Kallie Stocking got the win from the circle, going four innings in striking out four and allowing two hits. Jenika Fuentes tossed the fifth and got all three batter out.
                WNCC, 9-15 overall and 2-0 in the conference, will be on the road to face Trinidad State next weekend. Trinidad is 9-11 overall coming into the contest.
 
Game 1
Lamar                 000 00 – 0 1 3
WNCC                205 2x – 9 10 1
WP – Kayli Cooper
2B – Tori Travers, Adi Duke.
 
Game 2
Lamar                 001 00 – 1 2 2
WNCC                331 02 – 9 11 0
WP – Kallie Stocking.
2B – Kallie Stocking, Randi Mitchell.
HR – Lydia Tibbals.