Confidence breeds success for WNC

Winning breeds confidence, and right now the Western Nevada College softball team is one confident bunch.

The Wildcats ran their win streak to five straight by beating Colorado Northwestern, 10-2 and 7-5, Saturday at the Edmonds Sports Complex.

The Saturday sweep gave WNC a sweep of the four-game series. WNC archives are incomplete, but WNC swept CN in a four-game series back in 2009 and then again in 2012. WNC also swept CN in a three-game series in 2012. If a team is ailing and in need of a win like WNC was entering the series at 1-6, you want to see Colorado Northwestern in the other dugout.

“When you start win, you are more confident,” said Madi Gonzalez, who went 4-for-7 in the two wins on Saturday. “We come into every game the same way; every competition is the same. We seem to be more confident when we come into a game after a win. We seem to play well against them (Colorado).”

In the opener, WNC took control early with four in the first and three in the second for a 7-0 lead, and Carlee Beck easily made that stand up. Beck went the entire six innings and allowed just three hits. The runs she allowed were unearned.

“It was so nice (to get the early runs),” Beck said. “I was more at ease. I could have been a little tighter hitting my spots. In the fifth I got a little too much of the plate. I had a lot of confidence today after beating them (Friday).”

Hits by Makenzie Hospodka, Gonzalez, Meghan Hospodka and Jenny Rechel plus two errors led to four first-inning runs for WNC. In the second, Katilyn Covione singled, went to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an error when Makenzie Hospodka’s ball was misplayed. Makenzie Hospodka moved to third on a single by Gonzalez and scored on a wild pitch. Rechel drove in Gonzalez with an infield single.

The Wildcats made it 9-0 with two in the fourth. Meghan Hospodka doubled and scored on a single by Rechel, who moved to second on Heather Septon’s single. Andi Lee followed with a run-scoring single.

Had WNC been able to hold Colorado to one run or less in the top of the fifth the game would have ended, but two errors by Meghan Hospodka at short extended the game, as Colorado tallied two unearned runs to make it 9-2.

Gonzalez almost won it in the bottom of the fifth but her ball to left-centerfield went off the fence, missing her first career homer by inches. She moved to third on an infield out, but was stranded when Rechel lined out to second.

“I knew I had hit it pretty good,” Gonzalez said. “It was pretty close.”

The Wildcats did end it in the bottom of the sixth when Lee hit a two-out double and scored on a single by Covione.

In the second game, the teams were tied at 5 after four innings. Meghan Hospodka hit a two-run homer in the first, while Katelyn Bomar and Makenzie Hospodka singled home runs in a two-run second to give WNC a 4-2 lead. Colorado Northwestern scored three over the next two innings to take a 5-4 lead after 3 1/2 innings.

In the bottom of the fourth, Makenzie Hospodka hit a ball to the warning track which was dropped for a three-base error. After Gonzalez walked, Meghan Hospodka hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 5.

WNC went ahead in the sixth, and Makenzie Hospodka was the hero.

Bomar walked and Makenzie Hospodka followed with a two-run homer to make it 7-5.

“I felt I hit it solid,” Makenzie Hospodka said. “I still didn’t know it went out until I looked up. The ball to left (three-base error) it was fastball. The second one (homer) was a curveball out. I hit some homers in high school (at Damonte Ranch). I’m not sure if this was my first-ever game-winner.”

Lindsey Ashbaugh retired Colorado Northwestern in the seventh to end the game.

Makenzie and Meghan Hospodka both finished the nightcap with two hits.

BASEBALL

Wildcats win twice

HENDERSON — Max Karnos pitched a 4-hitter and threw just 68 pitches, as WNC stopped College of Southern Idaho, 11-1, in a game shortened to six innings because of the 10-run rule.

In its second game, WNC scored four times in the ninth to knock off Colorado Northwestern, 4-3.

WNC scored five in the third, three in the fourth and three in the sixth.

CSI scored once in the top of the third, but WNC roared back with five runs for a 5-1 lead.

Rayne Raven and Conor Harber singled home runs and Spencer Dorsey ripped a two-run homer to make it 4-1. Austin Andrews tripled and scored on an error to complete the barrage.

In the fourth, Fife singled home a run and Andrews doubled home two to make it 8-1. WNC tacked on three in the sixth to close it out.

Andrews led the way with three hits, while Dorsey added two.

Sam Hall hit a double off the fence in center to tie the game at 3 in the ninth, and then Tony Roque singled up the middle to score pinch-runner Jeremy Alderman.

Colorado had taken a 3-0 lead in the top of the ninth with three scores against Rayne Raven.