The Western Nebraska Community College softball team has had to play in cold and windy conditions the last two weekends, and have found a way to win in the cold, windy conditions.
The Cougars opened their regional tournament march with an impressive 10-2 win over Dawson Community College on Thursday in wind chills that dipped to below freezing. Sophomore Lauren Bourdon, who had a 2-run home run in the fifth inning against Dawson, said definitely said that they play well in all kinds of weather.
“We are used to the cold weather now because we have played in it in the past and we are used to it,” Bourdon said. “It just takes a lot of mental focus to get through it and get passed getting cold.”
Well, the cold temperatures finally took a toll on the Cougars at the Region IX Tournament in Scottsbluff Friday. Except this time it wasn’t on the playing field, per say. The weather forced all the games in the second day of the tournament to be postponed until today because of the cold, snowy weather that swept into the Panhandle Friday morning.
Because of the postponements, the exact same game schedule will be used today. Action will pick up this morning at 10 with North Platte Community College facing McCook in an elimination game. The other contests today will pit Trinidad State Junior College against Otero Junior College in a winner’s bracket game with the winner facing WNCC at 6 p.m., while the loser drops down and plays Lamar Community College at 4 p.m. The other contest on Saturday will have Dawson Community College facing either North Platte or McCook at 2 p.m.
The tournament will conclude Sunday with games beginning at 10 a.m. and the championship game slated for 2 p.m.
With the unexpected day-off, the Cougars are trying to stay focused and in prime condition for the rest of the tournament.
“No one can take it as an advantage or disadvantage either way because you have to stay focused and do whatever you have to do,” she said. “Even if we had to play today, you still had to stay focused and play through the cold.”
Even though the team has played in cold conditions before, including winds that blew harder last weekend in Iowa, it doesn’t mean the cold weather didn’t affect the team any. For Bourdon, it was just a matter of fighting through the bitter cold.
“I have played in colder conditions before; but [Thursday] it was just the wind that was horrible to be just standing out there,” she said. “When you focus through it, it all works out. It wasn’t excruciating, but it wasn’t that fun [to play in].”
The Cougars, however, enjoyed plenty of success in the cold weather against Dawson, scoring five runs in the first and fifth innings. However, it doesn’t mean the players were cold because they definitely were.
“We came out strong, obviously with five runs in the first inning,” Bourdon said. “The cold might have got to us once in a while but we pushed through it. We did well and came out with a win and that is all that matters.”
WNCC would liked to have kept that strong hitting alive for a second straight day, but the unexpected day off put a hamper in those plans for not only the Cougars, but also the other six teams fighting for the right to qualify for the national tournament in Plant City, Fla. Friday, teams were finding other things to do to occupy their such as lounging around the motels or practicing, such as what the Cougars did with a 9 p.m. practice just to stay sharp for today’s winner’s bracket contest.
“Everybody wanted to practice” Bourdon said. “Since we are at home, it doesn’t mean we have an unfair advantage. The practice will keep our bats going again. [Today] we just need to hit the ball and keep the it in play, and stay focused mentally.”
WNCC’s contests can be heard on the radio on KOZY 101.3 FM, and the Internet at www.kozy1013.com. Admission to the tournament is $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors.
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