MESA, Ariz. – The Western Nebraska Community College baseball team battled tooth and nail with Mesa Community College on Monday to open their Spring Break trip.

                The Cougars scored four, second-inning runs for an early lead, but allowed Mesa to score single runs in five innings to take the 5-4 win.

                WNCC will continue the Arizona trip with two games on Tuesday when they face Central Arizona College.

                WNCC started the scoring in the second when Catcher Gladysh doubled. Kensei Oikawa then earned a walk. Landon Lockwood scored the first run with a double and then Austin Cooper had a single to score two runs for the 3-0 lead. Cooper scored on a Matt Levesque single for the 4-0 lead.

                Mesa came back with single runs in the second and third and then tied the game with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Mesa took the lead with one run in the seventh with an unearned run on a sacrifice fly.

                WNCC had eight hits in the contest with Lockwood going 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run scored, and an RBI.

                WNCC used three pitchers in the contest. Julian Garza started and went six innings in giving up four runs on seven hits while striking out four. Allard Helms tossed the seventh in allowing a run on no hits and Austin Neeley pitched the eight in allowing just one hit.

WNCC                040 000 000 – 4 8 2
Mesa                   011 011 10x – 5 8 2
LP – Allard Helms.
2B – Landon Lockwood 2, Catcher Gladysh.