McKinley Hurley, a sophomore multi-sport athlete at North Central Missouri College, sparked the Lady Pirates offense with a 3 for 3 effort out of the lead-off spot, helping the Lady Pirates softball team to a 5-4 win at Three Rivers Community College, salvaging a split of their Sunday afternoon doubleheader.
On Saturday, Hurley’s NCMC basketball career ended in a 79-70 Region 16 championship game loss to St. Louis, moving the former Trenton High School standout down to southeast Missouri, where she and former basketball player Kelly Warford gave Steve Richman’s team a welcome boost.
Hurley scored three runs in the second game for North Central, with Georgia Gibler and Rachael Balke each adding a pair of base knocks to go with RBI’s.
Sophomore Jessica Stupar fired seven inning to get the win, scattering 10 Lady Raiders hit. She struck out three batters.
In Game #1, North Central struggled in an 8-2 loss to Three Rivers. Alison Hilsabeck allowed eight runs in six innings, with 12 hits racked up by the Lady Raiders. Jaclyn Weydert and Georgia Gibler each had 2 for 3 games at the plate.
North Central’s scheduled doubleheader for Monday at Three Rivers was rained out. The Lady Pirates are headed to Sedalia to take on State Fair Community College on Tuesday afternoon, with game times set for 2 and 4 o’clock. North Central’s doubleheader with Kansas City Kansas Community College, scheduled for Thursday at Mark Griffin Field in Trenton, has been postponed until a later date.
