TWIN FALLS, ID. - Western Nevada avoided being swept by College of Southern Idaho by winning the final game of the Scenic West Athletic Conference series 2-1 Saturday afternoon in baseball action.
WNC lost the opener 3-1. WNC played without shortstop Spencer Ofelt (knee) and Kyle Conwell (death in his family).
In the second game, WNC scored one in the second and one in the third.
Eric Maupin reached on an error to start the second and scored when Colby Sokol hit one through the right side.
Lionel Morrill homered to tie the game at 1, but WNC scored the go-ahead run in the third when Jay Skilton walked, advanced to third on a wild pickoff throw and scored on Kevin Taylor's infield out.
WNC held on for the win with David Carroll getting the save for Jeremy Gendlek with 2.2 innings of relief.
WNC managed just four hits in the opener. Two of the hits came in the third when Andrew Garcia singled and came around to score on a two-bagger by Taylor which tied the game at 1. CSI scored two unanswered runs with runs in the fourth and the sixth.
Casey Lish went 4.1 innings to pick up the win. Tyler Duffin came on for the save with 2.2 innings of hitless and scoreless relief.
WNC's Jordan Lewis was the losing pitcher despite yielding only two earned runs in 6.2 innings.
HALL SLAMS CSN
Ashley Hall hit a walk-off grandslam with no outs in the seventh inning to give Western Nevada College a 9-6 win over College of Southern Nevada in the second game of Saturday's Scenic West doubleheader at Carson High School.
Hall was a one-girl wrecking crew in the second game, hitting three homers and driving in seven runs.
WNC lost the opener 11-2, managing just three hits off CSN's Samantha Powell.
The split gives WNC a 5-35 record heading into the last two weeks of the regular season. WNC is locked in a battle with Colorado Northwestern for the final playoff spot in the conference tournament.
"We played really well all weekend, and got a much-deserved win" WNC coach Leah Wentworth said. "Hopefully it's a sign of things to come."
WNC trailed 6-5 entering the bottom of the seventh.
After Kelsie Fahr walked, Frances Estrada and Paige Savage reached on bunt singles to load the bases. Hall launched an 0-1 pitch over the wall. The loss snapped WNC's 11-game win streak.
Hall hit a 2-run homer in the first to put WNC up 2-0. Her solo homer extended the Wildcats' lead to 5-2. CSN scored four unanswered runs to make it 6-5, setting the stage for Hall's heroics.
Elisa Dawson picked up the win in relief. She went 3-for-3 at the plate with a solo homer.
In the opener, WNC hung around until the seventh when CSN scored five times thanks to two homers. Jennifer Watkins took the loss in the circle.
Hall and Ashley Williams each hit a double for the Wildcats.