COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team had a late lead and then fell short 11-10 to McCook Community College at the Region IX Empire Conference tournament in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Friday.

WNCC then faced Southeast Community College in an elimination game Friday night and the Cougars and the Storm battled with each team getting a grand slam. But, it was the Storm’s eighth-inning grand slam that was the key as Southeast stayed alive with the 11-6 while the Cougars ended their season with the 11-6 defeat.

Southeast will now play the loser of the winner’s bracket final between McCook and Otero College. Otero defeated Southeast earlier Friday 6-5. The winner of Region IX hosts the district playoffs and if Southeast comes back to win the tournament, they will host with the second-place team also earning a spot in the district finals. The other two teams of the district finals will be the winner of the Arizona regional and the winner of the Utah/Idaho/Nevada regional.

In WNCC’s games on Friday, the opener against McCook was a battle. The Indians scored eight runs in the first three innings to lead 8-3. WNCC scored first with two runs in the first inning when Roangeraud Fraai singled followed by Shintaro Inoue getting a single. Both runners scored on a Drew Book 2-out single for the 2-0 lead.

McCook came right back to plate four runs in the first for the 4-2 lead and then added another two runs in the second to lead 6-2. WNCC plated a single run in the third when Inoue scored on an error from McCook’s third baseman.

McCook came right back and scored two in the bottom of the third and another run in the fourth to take a 9-3 lead. WNCC got one back with a run in the fifth when Fraai doubled and scored on a Inoue double to make it 9-4.

WNCC took the lead 10-9 with six runs in the seventh on five hits. Inoue started everything by getting hit my a pitch and scored on an Eli Hernandez double. Hernandez scored on a Book double to make it 9-6. Tyler Easter was hit by a pitch to put two on. Book later scored on a passed ball and then Easter scored on a Dylan Harris double to make it 9-8.

WNCC tied the game at 9-9 on the next batter when Hunter McCollum singled to score Harris and then McCollum scored on a Fraai single to go up 10-9.

WNCC held McCook scoreless in the seventh, but surrendered two runs to the Indians in the eight for the 11-10 lead. In the Cougars’ final at bat, McCollum got on with a single with two outs, but that was all WNCC could muster.

WNCC out hit McCook in the opener 14-12. Fraai led the way with three hits including a double with two runs scored and an RBI. McCollum also had three this with a run scored and an RBI. Inoue, Hernandez, and Book each had two hits. Book had a double with three RBIs while Inoue had a double with three runs scored.

That loss sent the Cougars into the elimination game with Southeast, the top team in the tournament who fell to Otero College 6-5 earlier Friday. This contest was a battle.

Southeast struck first with three runs in the first inning. The Cougars came storming back with four runs in the third to take a 4-3 lead. McCollum started things with a single followed by Max Adam earning a walk and Bryce Peterson getting a single to load the bases. Inoue then unloaded the bases with one swing of the bat as he blasted a grand slam for the 4-3 lead.

Southeast tied the game in the fourth with a run, only to see the Cougars go back in front with a run in the fifth. Adam and Inoue each earned walks. Inoue scored on a Book hit that resulted in an error for the lead.

WNCC couldn’t hold the lead as the Storm scored twice with two outs in the bottom of the fifth on back-to-back doubles for the 6-5 lead. Southeast added another run on an error to lead 7-5. WNCC came with a run in the seventh when Peterson doubled and scored on a Hernandez sacrifice fly.

Southeast scored insurance runs in the eighth as Tyler Biship had a grand slam with two outs to put the Storm up 11-6. WNCC tried to come back in the ninth, but it wasn’t to be as the Cougars ended the season with the 11-6 loss.

WNCC managed just seven hits in the contest compared to 13 for Southeast. Peterson led the way with three hits including a double and two runs scored. Inoue had four RBIs with a home run and two runs scored.

 

WNCC 201 010 600 – 10 14 3

McCook 422 100 02x – 11 12 1

LP – Wyatt Zsidisin.

2B – Drew Book, Roangeraud Fraai, Eli Hernandez, Dylan Harris, Shintaro Inoue.

 

WNCC 004 010 100 – 6 8 5

Southeast 300 130 04 – 11 13 1

LP – Clayden Brandon.

2B – Eli Hernandez, Bryce Peterson.

HR – Shintaro Inoue.