Madi Gonzalez.
Western Nevada College, thanks to the pitching of Carlee Beck and Katilyn Covione, stretched its Scenic West win-streak to three with a doubleheader sweep of Colorado Northwestern, 10-2 and 7-2, Friday at Friday afternoon at Edmonds Sports Complex.
The sweep moved WNC to 3-6 in Scenic West play and 6-12 overall. The Wildcats host Colorado Northwestern in another doubleheader today starting at noon.
“Definitely a big day,” WNC coach Leah Wentworth said. “Big wins for us to sweep with two different pitchers out there. Carlee threw a great game in the opener and Katilyn looked good. I’m looking forward to getting her back in the rotation.”
Beck scattered six hits in the opener. She threw five shutout innings and gave up two runs in the sixth.
“That was one of the better games I’ve thrown this year,” Beck said. “I was hitting my spots. I only missed a couple of times. I always have one of those innings (the sixth) in a game. I just got the ball up a little that inning; missed my spot.
“That (ball movement) helped me a lot. When my ball moves like that they’re popping the ball up because they are getting under it.”
The sixth-inning runs didn’t really matter because WNC had built a 5-0 lead with two in the second and three in the third.
Andi Lee walked and moved to second on Covione’s single. After Katelyn Bomar was retired, Carson High grad Lindsey Ashbaugh laced a double to left to score both runners for a 2-0 lead.
In the third, Makenzie Hospodka walked and came around to score when Madi Gonzalez’s bunt was thrown wildly to first. Gonzalez moved to second on the errant throw, advanced to third on Meghan Hospodka’s infield single and scored on Lee’s single. After two strikeouts, Bomar singled home Meghan Hospodka to make it 5-0.
WNC went 6-for-12 hitting with two outs. That’s a stat any coach would love to have.
“We’ve been pretty consistent hitting this season,” Wentworth said. “This team has a lot of heart. Whether they are down in a game or facing two-out situations they don’t give up. It (two-out hitting) didn’t surprise me.”
After Colorado scored it’s only runs in the sixth, WNC struck for five runs in the bottom of the inning to end the game on the eight-run rule. All five runs were unearned thanks to a two-out error by Colorado’s Shannon Andersen on Makenzie Hospodka’s roller. The error scored Covione, and then Gonzalez, Meghan Hospodka, Lee and Septon hit safely to end it.
In the nightcap, Covione allowed just four hits, and allowed only three baserunners after Colorado scored twice in the first.
WNC evened the game at 2 in the bottom of the first thanks to an error which led to two unearned runs.
After allowing a double and single in the first, Covione retired 10 of the next 11 hitters before allowing two baserunners in the fourth. She retired the last 11 batters she faced.
Colorado’s Kellie Percival was just as good. She allowed just four baserunners total in the second through the fifth innings.
WNC finally broke the tie in the sixth.
Meghan Hospodka walked and was forced at second by Cara McCarthy. Lee doubled McCarthy to third, and Heather Septon doubled home both runners to make it 4-2. Ashbaugh followed with a single, sending Septon to third. After a strikeout, Bomar walked to load the bases. Makenzie Hospodka pounded a double to score all three runners to make it 7-2.
Covione breezed through the seventh to finish the contest.
“I wasn’t hitting my spots early,” Covione said. “I settled in the rest of the game. I used my off-speed a lot more after the first inning.
“I was worried a little bit (about going to extra innings). The girls came through and got some runs.”
BASEBALL
Salt Lake edges WNC
HENDERSON — Salt Lake scored two in the first and two in the fifth, and then had to hold off a furious rally by WNC to win the game in a battle of Scenic West powerhouses.
Christian Stolo worked the first two innings, allowing two runs and four hits plus two wild pitches. Spencer Greer worked the final six, allowing two runs.
A wild pitch and double by Caleb Summerhays gave Salt Lake a 2-0 lad in the first. WNC left runners stranded in scoring position in the second and third innings, but failed to score.
Summerhays and Derrick Whitney delivered run-scoring singles in the fifth to make it 4-0.
In the eighth, WNC used three walks and singles by Alex Fife and Conor Harber to make it 4-3.
Harber and Fife each had two hits.