WNC Softball: Salt Lake pitching holds Wildcats in check
Submitted by editor on Sat, 04/11/2015 - 7:52pm
Although Western Nevada College came away empty in its four-game series with second-ranked Salt Lake Community College on Saturday, the Wildcats demonstrated that their program isn't that far behind one of the nation's best.
Elisha Jahnke one-hit WNC over the first six innings of the opener and the Bruins scored five runs in the middle innings to win 6-1 in Taylorsville, Utah. Jahnke, Baylee Reeves and Lauren Frailey combined on a four-hitter and Raeana Gall knocked in four runs as the Bruins completed the four-game sweep with a 7-1 second-game victory.
The Wildcats of Carson City extended the Bruins to seven innings in each game and prevented Salt Lake from scoring more than seven runs.
The SWAC leaders improved to 24-4 in conference play and 34-6 overall. WNC is 9-18 and 14-23. WNC utilized its fourth pitcher of the weekend when Sadee Sorensen started in the circle in Saturday's opener. Other than an unearned run in the first, Sorensen kept the Bruin offense in check early on, yielding two hits in the first two innings.
But Sorensen ran into trouble in the third when Salt Lake strung together four hits and scored twice. Megan Reed's base hit plated Karly Bunderson to put Salt Lake ahead 2-0. Riana Splinter added a run-scoring single to make the score 3-0. Sorensen, however, limited the damage by stranding three Bruins on base.
Salt Lake tacked on three more runs in the fourth. Bailie Nelson's two-run single highlighted the rally.
After KyRae Kogianes hit a RBI single with one out in the fourth, WNC Coach Leah Wentworth went to the bullpen, bringing in freshman Kristina George. George excelled in relief, giving up just two hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Jahnke was nearly unhittable for the Wildcats. She didn't allow a hit through five innings, striking out five and walking two.
Makaylee Jaussi ended Jahnke's no-hit bid by leading off the sixth with a bunt single. Following a walk to Melanie Mecham and a groundout, Jaussi came home with WNC's only run on Gabriella's Canibeyaz's groundout.
Chelsa Baca relieved Jahnke in the seventh, and the Wildcat hitters found her pitches more to their liking. Dakota Robinson and Pamela Sakuma rapped out hits, but the Wildcats were unable to make a dent into Salt Lake's lead.
Robinson started in the circle in game two for the Wildcats.
The freshman held the Bruin offense in check for three innings. But three extra-base hits in the second half of the game gave the Bruins some breathing room. Salt Lake snapped a 1-1 tie with a four-run fourth inning. Gall's two-run double put the Bruins ahead for good, 3-1. Corinne Cleverly's two-run homer capped the four-run inning.
Gall connected for a two-run homer off George in the sixth to extend Salt Lake's lead to 7-1.
Nelson's RBI base hit in the second put the Bruins on top, 1-0, but WNC answered in the third on a Mecham single that brought home Briauna Carter.
Mecham and Canibeyaz sprayed a pair of hits for the Wildcats. After playing two of the nation's top-5 teams over the past two weekends, WNC will return home to meet Colorado Northwestern Community College on Friday and Saturday.
