NORTH PLATTE -- Haille Weber hit three home runs and Lauren Oxford had two, including a grand slam, as the Western Nebraska Community College softball team captured a doubleheader over North Platte Community College Saturday afternoon in North Platte.
In the opener, WNCC had two home runs from Oxford and Celyn Whitt in registering the 13-6 win over the Knights. The Cougars pounded out eight more home runs in game two, including three from Weber and Oxford's grand slam in registering the 21-8 win.
All-in-all, the Cougars finished the two games with 34 runs, 39 hits, 10 home runs, and six doubles in helping the Cougars to their 45th win of the season.
Weber had the big bat in the second game, finishing 5-for-5 with five runs scored, six RBIs, and three dingers.
Of WNCC's 23 hits in the second game, 10 were extra base hits. Besides Weber, Oxford was 2-for-4 with four RBIs with her grand slam.
Courtney Medina and Christian Bobian each finished with three hits each. Medina had a double, three runs scored, and three stolen bases, while Bobian was a triple shy of hitting for the single with a double, home run, and a single. Bobian also had three RBIs and three runs scored.
Four Cougars also finished with two hits in the second game. Kenzie Sawyer had a home run and three runs scored; Jasmine Wessel had a home run with two RBIs, and four runs scored; and Celyn Whitt had two RBIs.
WNCC never looked back in the second game, plating four in the first and six in the second for a 10-2 lead. WNCC added seven in the fourth to put the game away.
WNCC had back-to-back bombs in the first as Weber had a 2-run shot and then Sawyer had a solo blast. The second inning saw Bobian blast a 2-run shot and then Oxford followed with her grand slam.
The Cougars had two more dingers in the third. Weber had a 2-run shot followed by a solo shot by Wessel. WNCC had just one home run in the fourth, a lead-off solo shot by Emily Selby.
Weber capped off the home run parade with her third of the game, a solo shot to centerfield to lead off the fifth.
Payten Davies picked up the win in the circle, going three innings in allowing three runs and two hits. Also seeing time in the circle were Weber and Emily Selby. Both allowed two hits in their inning of work.
The first game was close for four innings as WNCC held a slim 5-4 lead. It was the fifth that the Cougar bats heated up, scoring six times.
WNCC finished with 16 hits, led by the 3-hit attack of Sawyer and Oxford. Sawyer had a double with three runs scored and a RBI, while Oxford had a double, a home run, three RBIs and a run scored.
Collecting two hits each were Bobian, Weber, Wessel, and Whitt. Whitt had a home run with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Weber had a triple with two runs scored and a RBI.
Bobian had two singles with a run scored, RBI, and a stolen base, while Wessel had two doubles, four RBIs, and two runs scored.
Andy Hancock earned the win in the circle, going five innings with four strike outs with six hits and five runs scored. Selby and Weber each tossed an inning for the Cougars.
WNCC will be back in action Sunday when they host Northeastern Junior College in a Region IX conference game beginning at 1 p.m. It will also be sophomore recognition day in honoring the seven sophomores.
First Game
WNCC 032 061 2 – 13 16 2
NPCC 013 001 1 – 6 8 1
WP – Andy Hancock; 2B – Jasmine Wessel 2, Kenzie Sawyer, Lauren Oxford, Payten Davies; 3B – Haille Weber; HR – Celyn Whitt, Lauren Oxford.
Second Game
WNCC (45-10) 463 71 – 21 23 2
NPCC 021 14 – 8 6 2
WP – Payten Davies; 2B – Christian Bobian, Courtney Medina; HR – Christian Bobian, Emily Selby, Jasmine Wessel, Kenzie Sawyer, Haille Weber 3, Lauren Oxford.