WNC Softball: Wildcats level home field with sweep against Colorado Northwestern

After two weekends on the road against two of the best teams in the nation, the Western Nevada College softball team showed that it knows how to win when the playing field levels. WNC completed a four-game Scenic West Athletic Conference softball sweep of Colorado Northwestern on Saturday at Edmonds Sports Complex in Carson City.

The Wildcats backed the six-hit pitching of Kristina George by lining a homer and five doubles in a 6-3 opening-game victory, then Gabriella Canibeyaz delivered two hits and two RBI in a 7-3 second-game victory.
WNC raised its overall record to 18-23 and SWAC mark to 13-18, following eight straight defeats to No. 1 Salt Lake Community College and No. 3 College of Southern Idaho.

"We just had to play hard and not take them lightly, because you never know, anybody can beat anyone in this division," said WNC sophomore catcher Lauren Lesniak.

It took until the midway point of the opener for some of the Wildcats' line drives to start locating holes in the Spartan defense. Canibeyaz lined a double down the left-field line to start the Wildcat fourth. Lesniak then deposited her liner over the left-field fence for a two-run homer.

"She finally got a good pitch to hit and took advantage of it," said WNC coach Leah Wentworth. "I know she was waiting all weekend for a good pitch to hit because last time they saw her, she had such a dominant series against them. They have been really throwing around her and not giving her much to work with."

It was Lesniak's team-leading seventh homer of the season. Until the fourth inning, Colorado Northwestern sophomore pitcher RiLee Lutz blanked WNC on two hits. However, all nine of the Wildcat outs to that point were in play.

"We were putting the ball in the air and they were able to make some really nice plays on the some of those balls as well," Wentworth said. "We just wanted them to level off a little on their swings, which they did, and brought that to that inning. We started finding some holes and creating opportunities."

Meanwhile, George used a riseball and pinpoint control to put pressure on CNCC hitters. The Spartans best early scoring chance came in the fourth inning when cleanup hitter Katie Mankau and Jaisha Webb produced successive base hits with two outs. But George struck out Alechsis Shultz looking to end the threat. WNC third baseman Briauna Carter also diffused a couple of rallies but twice gunning down Spartans at second base on sacrifice bunt attempts.

The Wildcats broke it open in the fifth as the first four batters produced hits. Melanie Mecham's blast to the left-center gap brought home Bailey Henderson and Makaylee Jaussi to make the score 4-0. Canibeyaz and Kacie Freudenberger added a RBI single and run-scoring double, respectively, to give the Wildcats a 6-0 lead.

"I was just trying to get on top of the ball; yesterday I had a lot popups, so I tried to level my hands out and get on top of the ball and find the holes," Canibeyaz said. "We wanted to make sure, no matter the scoreboard, to keep trying and scoring runs so they couldn't come back. We need to play every team like it is the best team that we are playing."

Colorado Northwestern averted a shutout when Heather Garcia hit a two-out RBI single in the sixth and added two more runs in the seventh on a two-run double by Mankau.

George, who earned both wins in Friday's sweep, raised her record to 10-5. She struck out six and walked two.
Henderson collected three of the Wildcats' 12 hits. The freshman from Fernley also scored a run. Canibeyaz went 2 for 4 with a RBI and a run scored, while Pamela Sakuma was 2 for 3.

"Bailey had a great day at the plate," Wentworth said. "She's strong and has great hand-eye coordination, so she does a good job of putting the ball in play and finding holes."

In game two, the Wildcats didn't take much time putting a crooked number on the scoreboard. Canibeyaz's two-run base hit to center highlighted a five-run first inning. Lesniak, Henderson and Kelsie Callahan also contributed RBI hits in the first as the Wildcats chased Lutz. The final run in the first scored when Sakuma aggressively ran home from second when Spartan second baseman Shultz made a diving stop of Callahan's hard grounder and her flip wasn't in time to get a force at second.

"We've had a hard time not giving up runs in that first inning at home and putting ourselves to where we have to fight from behind, so it was great today that they were able to shut them down at the beginning and come in to rally with a bunch of runs," Wentworth said. "It allows everyone to settle down a little bit."

The Spartans threatened against WNC starter Sadee Sorensen in the second inning. But after Garcia and Lutz rapped base hits, Sorensen retired the next three hitters, including two on strikes, to preserve a 5-0 lead.
Mecham and Canibeyaz crossed the plate in the second against reliever Kierstyn Roundy as WNC extended its lead to 7-0.

Kayla Durfey scored in unusual fashion in the third inning for CNCC's first run. After Mecham made a diving catch of a slicing foul ball in left, Durfey sprinted home from second base. Garcia added a RBI double to right as the Spartans closed to within 7-2.

Dakota Robinson dazzled in relief of Sorensen, allowing a double to the first Spartan she faced and then not giving up another hit during her 2 2/3 innings in the circle. She struck out two and walked two.
"I thought Dakota did a great job," Wentworth said. "She's really effective at moving the ball around. She has good spin, particularly on her curveball, and getting batters to mishit the ball.

"I think it was a good mix of speed between her and Sadee. The velocity changed there, and it's kind of difficult to adjust to."

WNC's third pitcher, Katilyn Covione, entered in the sixth and gave up a solo homer to Kylee Blau, pulling the Spartans to within 7-3, but Covione allowed just one more base runner in her two innings of relief to close the game.

Callahan, Canibeyaz and Henderson each delivered two hits in game two. Canibeyaz scored twice and knocked in two runs.

The Wildcats will play their final road series at Snow on Friday and Saturday, looking to continue their momentum as the regional tournament nears. "We're just going to try to win and bring that into regionals," Lesniak said.
Added Canibeyaz, "We're trying to take the rest of our series and come in third place. If we can win the rest of our games, we'll come in third place."