COLLEGE: WNC, South Mountain split DH

LAS VEGAS - Western Nevada College's baseball team garnered a split against South Mountain Community College Saturday at Sierra Vista High School.

In the seven-inning opener, WNC scored twice in the seventh to snap a 1-all tie and grab a 3-1 win. In the nightcap, WNC tied the game at 2 in the ninth only to give up a run in the 10th and lose 3-2.

WNC, 2-1 thus far, completes the four-game series at 11 a.m. today.

The Wildcats managed just 10 hits in the two games, six in the opener and four in the second game.

Connor Eppard gave WNC an early 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the first, but South Mountain tied it in the third.

The score stayed that way until the top of the seventh when Taylor Smart walked and moved to second when Bobby Pappin was hit by a pitch trying to move the runner up. Sean Dwyer sacrificed the runners to second and third, and Eppard singled home a run to make it 2-1. A safety squeeze by Chris Woolley plated an insurance run.

Fallon's Teryn Smith, the third WNC pitcher, pitched a scoreless inning to get his first save. The win went to Tony Guerra, who struck out two and worked a scoreless inning. Chris Garrison worked the first five, allowing just four hits and striking out five.

"Chris did a great job," WNC coach D.J. Whittemore said. "He gutted it out without having his best stuff."

Guerra came to WNC in the fall of 2008, but had to undergo Tommy John surgery. He's battled back and made the team.

Eppard went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs to lead the WNC offense. Beau Day went 2-for-4 while Kevin Taylor and Smart had a hit apiece.

In the second game, South Mountain scored single runs in the third and fourth off WNC starter Andrew Woeck, who allowed just three hits.

WNC got an unearned run in the seventh and relief pitcher Anthony Consiglio, who was forced to bat when WNC used its DH on defense, singled on an 0-2 pitch, tying the game at 2 in the ninth.

SMCC pushed across a run against Consiglio in the 10th for the win and avoid a doubleheader sweep.

Taylor, Zach Hendrix, Woolley and Consiglio had a hit each for WNC.

"Some of the credit for our lack of production goes to their pitchers," Whittemore said. "They did a good job of keeping our hitters off balance."