WNCC drops games to Luna on Monday

WNCC drops games to Luna on Monday
(WNCC)
March 21st, 2023 | WNCC Sports Information

The Westen Nebraska Community College baseball team battled but couldn’t come away with any victories on Monday against Luna Community College in Empire Conference action at Cleveland Field.

The first game was close at the beginning, but then the Roughriders scored six  runs in the sixth inning to earn the 10-0 win.

The second game saw some fight from the Cougars as they trailed 7-1 before scoring seven runs in the fourth inning to grab a 9-7 lead. In the end, Luna had a 3-run home run in the sixth to take the 10-9 win.

The Cougars dropped all four games to Luna over the weekend and will look to get back in action on by hosting Trinidad State College over the weekend in key Empire Conference games.

The second game was intense. Both teams plated a run in the first inning. WNCC’s lone run came as Shintaro Inoue rocketed a solo home run to knot the score.

Luna came back with six in the third to lead 7-1. WNCC didn’t quit as they scored one in the third on a run-scoring single by Bryce Peterson. WNCC left the bases loaded to end the third.

WNCC held Luna scoreless in the fourth and fifth. In the Cougars’ fourth, WNCC plated seven runs on six hits. Hunter McCollum led off with a single followed by Garrett Dodd and Ashton Ross getting plunked with a pitch to load the bases. Roangeraud Fraai then scored McCollum with a single. Inoue followed with a single to plate two runs to make it 7-5 Luna.

Peterson added another run with a single to cut the deficit to one. With the bases loaded, Inoue came in to score on a Drew Book single to tie the game. WNCC took the lead as Peterson scored on a passed ball and then Tyler Easter scored on a McCollum ground out hit for the 9-7 lead.

It stayed that way until the top of the sixth when Luna scored three runs for the 10-9 lead.

WNCC finished with nine hits in the contest. Inoue and Peterson each had two hits. Inoue had three RBIs and two runs scored with a home run. Peterson had two RBIs and a run scored.

Eli Hernandez started and went three innings in allowing six hits, seven runs, and striking out five. Archer Blumenshein went four innings in scattering five hits and allowing three runs while striking out six in taking the loss on the hill.

The first game of Monday’s doubleheader was close as the two starting pitchers, Clayden Brandon for WNCC and Ashton Luera for Luna were masterful. Brandon went 5.2 innings and before the sixth, limited Luna to three runs in five innings. Brandon struck out eight in his time on the mound while allowing eight runs. Nicolas Tremblay finished the game, going 1 1/3 innings allowing six hits and two runs.

Offensively, WNCC had just three hits in the contest compared to 19 for Luna. Fraai had the lone extra base hit with a double. Luna’s Kobe Caprio hit for the cycle in the Roughriders’ win.

That game was just 1-0 through two innings and 3-0 after five innings. Luna opened the game up with six in the sixth and then Luera shut down the Cougars’ offense in the final two at bats.

Game 1

Luna                      010 026 1 – 10 19 0

WNCC                   000 000 0 – 0 3 0

LP – Clayden Brandon.

2B – Roangeraud Fraai.

Game 2

Luna                      106 003 0 – 10 11 0

WNCC                   101 700 0 – 9 9 0
LP – Archer Blumenshein.

2B – Dylan Harris.

HR – Shintaro Inoue

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