The Western Nebraska Community College softball team put together one of the best games of the season offensively and defensively in game one of a doubleheader with Dawson Community College on Sunday.
The Cougars’ Mia Migliaccio tossed a complete game in allowing just one run and the offense was ignited with five early runs, including a home run from Abbey Arntsen in registering the 7-1 win.
In the second game, the Cougars allowed two seventh-inning runs and then couldn’t capitalize in the bottom of the inning as Dawson registered the 12-9 extra-inning win.
Arntsen said the team learned a lot about the team this week and the first game was just an unbelievable contest.
“I think our success from game one came a lot from our pitching as well as a very strong defense,” Arntsen, the freshman from Dinsmore, Saskatchewan, said. “Mia pitched unbelievably and gave our defense easy outs. I think we wanted it more than they did and that’s why we came out on top.”
The second game was in the Cougars’ favor as well, but some miscues in the late innings proved costly. Arntsen said they learned a lot about the team this weekend as they get ready to open conference play this weekend at home against Luna Community College.
“I think overall there was a lot of good in the games today,” she said. “Our defense was much improved from our first doubleheader (on Saturday). We had some solid at bats also. It would have been nice to get the sweep, but we learned lots from this weekend that we can take moving forward.”
The one thing they learned is they have to control the little things on the field as they have been up and down this season.
“I think we learned a lot of important lessons this weekend. We have been playing on a roller coaster of ups and downs, so moving forward, consistency is going to be key for us,” she said. “Our errors ended up doing a lot of damage this weekend, so we will have to minimize those going forward so we can play up to our potential.”
The difference in the win in game one and the loss in game two was errors. WNCC was nearly perfect in the opener, committing just one error and holding Dawson to a single run. The second game saw the Cougars commit nine errors and allowed seven early runs and then the costly five runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
The one thing that stood out, though, was the Cougars’ bats as 1 through 9 came up with big hits to get rallies started. The Cougars just couldn’t get the clutch hits in the seventh and eighth inning to win game two.
“I think having strong bats 1-9 in the order is super important. We can rely on anybody to do their job, whatever that may be,” Arntsen said. “Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses at the plate, so knowing what works best for you is crucial. There is a lot of diversity in our lineup that comes from what type of hitter you are whether it’s a power hitter, slapper, bunter, contact hitter, etc. I think our speed and base running will also help us out lots. We beat out plays, capitalize on errors, and take extra bases.”
Game one was a typical of the way they should play all the time as it was a perfect contest that took just an hour and half to play. WNCC scored early and held Dawson in check the rest of the way.
WNCC added one run in the first as Tori Travers walked and scored on a ground ball for the 1-0 lead.
WNCC followed that with four in the second as Hayley Blumenschein walked and scored on a Tina Horton 3-out double. Horton scored on a Travers single. That was when Arntsen made it 5-0 with her 2-run home run.
Dawson added one in the third and neither team scored again until the sixth inning when the Cougars added two insurance runs. Blumenschein and Ellie Soper started things with a one-out singles. Emma Murdock than scored one run with a ground out and then second run came in on a Travers single.
WNCC had just seven hits in the contest, but made the most of them. Travers led the way with two hits with two RBIs and two runs scored. Arntsen had a home run and two RBIs, while Albaugh and Horton each had doubles.
Mia Migilaccio had a superb outing in the circle, going all seven innings in tossing just 73 pitches while facing 31 batters. Migilaccio scattered eight hits, but allowed just one run while striking out three.
Dawson started the game scoring five times. WNCC answered with four in the bottom of the first. WNCC loaded the bases with three walks and then Gracie Holm singles in two runs. WNCC loaded the bases once again and Ellie Soper had a 2-run single to make it 5-4.
WNCC took a 6-5 lead with two in the second as Adi Duke scored two with a base hit. Dawson came right back to go up 7-6 with three in the third. WNCC had an answer with three in the bottom of the third. The big in the inning was a 2-out, 2-run double by Travers.
Both teams failed to score over the next three innings with WNCC up 9-7.
The Cougars then needed to hold Dawson in the seventh for the win, but the Cougars committed three errors that allowed two runs to score to tie the contest. WNCC had a prime opportunity to walk-off the win in the bottom of the seventh as pinch hitters Viktoria Sarkanyova and Dannaca Moss each recorded singles. But WNCC couldn’t get them in to force extra innings.
Dawson then scored three times in the eighth on two errors and two hits for the 12-9 win.
WNCC finished game two with 11 hits, led by three hit performances from Travers and Gracie Holm. Jasmine Castron and Tina Horton each had two hits in the contest. Horton had four RBIs with a double and home run.
Migilaccio started the game and went just a few batters giving way to Arntsen, who tossed 7 2/3 innings in walking just two, striking out one, and scattering 11 hits. She allowed just two earned runs.
Game 1
Dawson 001 000 0 – 1 9 5
WNCC 140 002 x – 7 7 1
WP – Mia Migliaccio.
2B – Tina Horton, Alyssa Albaugh.
HR – Abbey Arntsen.
Game 2
Dawson 502 000 23 – 12 15 2
WNCC 423 000 00 – 9 12 9
LP – Abbey Arntsen.
2B – Tori Travers, Abbey Arntsen.