ROSWELL, N.M. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team dropped a pair of games to New Mexico Military Institute Saturday afternoon to open their season.

                The first game saw the Broncos score six late runs to earn the 11-1, five-inning win.

                The second game saw the Cougars give up nine early runs in falling 10-1 to the homestanding New Mexico Military team.

                WNCC started off the season well as they scored a run in the opening frame. Shintaro Inoue started things with a 2-out double and scored one batter later as T. Easter singled for the 1-0 lead.

                NMMI followed with five runs in the bottom of the first on three doubles, a triple, and a home run to take a 5-1 lead.

                The score stayed that way until the bottom of the fourth when NMMI scored twice and then ended the game with four runs in the fifth inning.

                WNCC had three hits in the contest with Inoue and Toubeaux getting doubles.

                Wyatt Zsidisin took the loss on the mound, going four innings in allowing seven runs, seven hits while striking out three. Thibault Mercadier finished off the game going two-thirds of an inning in allowing three hits, four runs, and striking out one.

                The second game saw WNCC fall behind the 8-ball early as New Mexico Military scored five in the first and four in the second for a 9-1 lead.

                The Cougars plated one in the second when Hunter McCollum led off the inning with a single followed by Roangeraud Fraai getting a single. McCollum scored on a double play to make the score 5-1.

                NMMI answered with a single run in the third and then after that the Cougars settled in and did not allow another run as they fell 10-1.

                WNCC finished the game with four hits. Eli Hernandez had the only extra base hit with a double.

                WNCC utilized three pitchers. Starter Adrian Short took the loss in going three innings in allowing nine hits, 10 runs, while striking out five. Mytchell Pollock went two innings in allowing a hit and two strikeouts followed by Grant DeClue going one inning with two strikeouts and a hit.

                WNCC and NMMI will be back in action against Sunday for another doubleheader.

Game 1
WNCC                   100 00 – 1 3 3
NMMI                   500 24 – 11 10 0
LP – Wyatt Zsidisin.
2B – Joseph Toubeaux, Shintaro Inoue.

Game 2
WNCC (0-2)        010 000 0 – 1 4 0
NMMI (10-0)     541 000 x – 10 11 0
LP – Adrian Short.
2B – Eli Hernandez.