Western Nevada capped off its best Scenic West Athletic Conference in school history by sweeping Salt Lake Community College, 4-1 and 5-3, Saturday at John L. Harvey Field.
The sweep gave WNC a 37-3 SWAC record and 43-13 overall. Salt Lake fell to 28-12 and 41-15, respectively. WNC wins the season series against the Bruins, 5-3.
"We're operating under the premise that this is the most SWAC victories in 10 years," said WNC coach D.J. Whittemore. "We finished the season 20-0 at home and we have a 32-game win streak intact."
WNC will play the winner of the College of Southern Nevada-Eastern Utah winner Thursday morning at either 9 or 10 a.m. Tournament officials still are deciding on official game times.
In the 7-inning opener, Tim Peterson worked the first 4.1 innings to pick up the win, his eighth without a loss. He allowed just one run.
Connor Eppard hit a solo homer in the first to get the Wildcats off to a quick start. Sean Potkay doubled and came around to score in the second. Potkay capped his team's scoring in the sixth with a two-run single.
In the second game, WNC got three innings apiece from Matt Robertson, Jason Wittwer and Tony Guerra. Robertson went the first three, striking out two and allowing one hit. Wittwer allowed one hit and one walk in his stint while Guerra fanned one, that coming with two outs in the ninth with runners on first and third.
Eppard had another first-inning homer, and Pat McMeel also homered. Tanner Nielsen went 3-for-3 with a run-scoring double.
SOFTBALL: WNC SPLITS
Western Nevada split its Saturday doubleheader against College of Southern Idaho at Edmonds Sports Complex.
WNC won the opener 2-1 and lost the second game 7-2.
Jamie Klopatek allowed seven hits and fanned two for the Wildcats in the opener.
Both WNC runs came in the fourth thanks to hits by Cassie Vondrak and Megan Hein. Ashley Hall, Hein and Jordan Thomas all had two hits.
The second game went extra innings, as WNC and CSI were tied at 2 after seven. CSI scored five times in the first extra inning to win. Cassie Vondrak went the distance, allowing 13 hits and striking out one.
Thomas and Melanie Pfeiffer had two hits each, while Ashley Gleason and Klopatek added a hit each.
WNC opens conference tournament play on Thursday against either CSN or North Idaho.
