WNC splits with league-leading CSN

HENDERSON — Western Nevada College split its Scenic West Athletic Conference doubleheader against College of Southern Nevada, losing 3-1 and winning 11-3 Friday afternoon at Morse Field.

CSN is now 21-9 in conference play, while second-place WNC is 18-12. The teams play a doubleheader today, but the chances of WNC overtaking CSN are slim because the Coyotes finish with Colorado Northwestern next weekend and WNC hosts College of Southern Idaho.

“We have to win the rest of our games and hope that Colorado can beat CSN once,” WNC coach D.J. Whittemore said. “You do the math.”

In the opener, Cody Hamlin was the tough-luck loser despite giving up six hits. It was his second loss in nine decisions.

WNC took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Conor Harber singled to right, moved up a base when Connor Klein reached on an error and moved to third on a wild pitch. After Cole Ferguson struck out, AJ Hernandez hit a sacrifice fly.

The Wildcats managed just one hit the rest of the seven-inning game.

In the nightcap, CSN scored three in the first off Phil Belding, but that was it. Belding, who struck out three and didn’t walk a batter, allowed just two hits the rest of the way.

WNC tied the game in the third when Mike Umscheid doubled and advanced to third on a Christian Stolo single. Joey Crunkilton followed with a single to plate Umscheid, sending Stolo to third. Harber singled for the second run, and Hernandez hit another sacrifice fly for the third run of the inning.

The Wildcats added three more in the fourth when Umscheid walked and scored on Stolo’s double. Crunkilton followed with a run-scoring double and Klein followed with a run-scoring single.

WNC added four in the sixth and one in the seventh to mercy rule the Coyotes.

Klein went 4-for-5 with two RBI, while Harber went 2-for-3, Tony Roque went 2-for-4 with two RBI, Umscheid went 2-for-2. Stolo went 2-for-4 and Crunkilton went 2-for-5.