Cougars one win away from Region IX title
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – There is no question that the Western Nebraska Community College baseball team has a flare for the dramatics.
The Cougars, facing a 10-4 deficit in the ninth inning, plated eight runs to topple Lamar Community College 12-10 at the Region IX Empire Conference Tournament in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The win against the South Division No. 1 seed, advances WNCC to the Region IX title game to be played Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. with an if-necessary game set for Sunday.
Lamar falls into an elimination game against Southeast Community College Saturday at 10 a.m. Southeast eliminated McCook Community College 8-7. The winner of the Lamar and Southeast contest will have to beat WNCC twice to capture the title.
The Cougars will be looking for their second Region IX title when they hit the playing field on Saturday. The first regional title came in 2007. WNCC has finished runner-up three times in 2010, 2017, and 2019.
Jack Jones, who had the big ninth-inning triple to score the two runs that gave the Cougars the lead, said it was a big win for the team.
“This was a huge game and a huge win,” Jones said. “It meant so much for us to win this game as it was our ticket to the championship game. We feel like we have major momentum going into tomorrow.”
Owen Vanthillo, who picked up the save with a solid ninth inning, said this team is never out in a game.
“This was a huge win,” Vanthillo said. “We showed that we can rally back as a team even when things are not going our way. We showed a lot of mental strength and came through with a bit time win. Props to my teammate and roommate Jack Jones for the clutch pinch hitting.”
Jones started the ninth with a double and got to bat a second time and came up with the triple to score the two runs. Jones said the focus was just to get on base and trust the batter in the on-deck circle.
“We were just trying to get runners on base and put the team in a good position to take the lead,” Jones said. “Each batter was trusting the batter behind him, which led to a big inning.”
Jones’ two hits were pinch-hit base hits. Jones said he was just trying to make good contact.
“With both at bats, I wanted to put a good barrel on the ball and get on base for the teammates behind me to keep it rolling,” he said. “I got the pitches I needed to do the job and put two good swings on them.”
Vanthillo added that he also did his job on the mound and let his defense make the plays, including the game-ending diving catch from rightfielder Joey Olson to seal the win.
“I did get the save. It is a big ballpark so you can really pitch to contact,” he said. “Coach Mike Jones made sure I knew that and that’s what I did. I got two routine fly our plays. For the last hitter, our right-fielder Joey Olson made an amazing diving catch to end the game. I relied on our defense and they came through.”
WNCC led just once before the ninth inning. Lamar scored three times in the first to grab a 3-0 lead before WNCC came back to score four in the second to lead 4-3.
The second saw Jordan Rollins lead off with a double followed by Joey Olson with a single. Matt Womack reached on an error to score Rollins. Jayden Orozco followed with a double to score two runs. Orozco came in to score on a Caleb Coats single and the 4-3 lead.
Lamar kept battling as they scored single runs in the next three innings and then plated two runs in the fifth for an 8-4 lead. WNCC failed to score in six straight innings and went into the ninth trailing 10-4 and needing at least six runs to keep the game going.
WNCC got six runs and more. Jack Jones started the inning with a double. Quinn McCafferty followed with a walk and Coats was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Michael Felton scored the first run as he, too, was hit by a pitch. Luis Alcantara followed with a single to score another run to make it 10-6.
Rollins scored another run with a fielder’s choice hit and then Olson singled to score another run to make the score 10-8 with just one out. Womack reached base on an error to load the bases. That set up Orozco getting a sacrifice fly to bring the score to 10-9. With two outs, Jones came up again and took the second pitch to the outfield for a triple to score two to give the Cougars the 11-10 lead. Jones came in to score on a McCafferty single.
Vanthillo came in to pitch the ninth and did what he has done all season, pitch strong to get the save. Lamar’s first two batters flew out to right and left field for easy outs. The third out was a fly ball that saw Olson make a diving catch for the win.
WNCC finished with 12 hits in the contest. McCafferty led the way with three singles with a run scored and an RBI. Jones, Orozco, Olson, and Alcantara each had two hits. Olson had a double with two runs scored and an RBI, while Jones had a double, triple, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Orozco had two RBIs and a run scored with a double.
WNCC used three pitchers in the contest. Trent Richter started and went three innings in allowing four hits and five runs while striking out one. Dawson Hurford followed in going five innings to get the win. Hurford gave up 10 hits and five runs while striking out three. Vanthillo got the save in facing just three batters and delivering just seven pitches.
WNCC will be looking for their second regional title and berth into the district finals when they face either Lamar or Southeast on Saturday. Jones said they need to stay together and keep playing tough to bring home a regional title.
“We just need to keep rolling as a unit both on offense and defense,” Jones said. “We have done a great job as a team rallying together in different situations during the playoffs and I think if we keep it up, we can win it all.”
Vanthillo, who is from Belgium, said they just need to play good baseball to get the win.
“We will need to play good baseball,” he said. “Pitchers will have to throw strikes and hit their spots, defense will have to make plays, and the offense will have to take smart at bats and hit the ball hard on a line.”
Lamar 311 120 200 – 10 14 2
WP – Dawson Hurford; S – Owen Vanthillo.
2B – Jack Jones, Jayden Orozco, Jordan Rollins.
3B – Jack Jones.
