Big innings help Lady Pirates sweep visiting Ellsworth

The North Central Missouri College softball team used a pair of four-run innings in Game 1, and a five-run outburst in the 3rd inning of Game 2, to claim a pair of two-run victories over the Ellsworth Lady Panthers on Tuesday afternoon at Mark Griffin Memorial Field in Trenton.

Four runs in the bottom of the 2nd inning gave the Lady Pirates a comfortable 5-1 lead in the opener, but the ECC answered with four runs of their own in the 3rd inning, tying the game at 5.  With Allison Hilsbeck slamming the door on the visitors from Iowa Falls from there, NCMC scored four runs in the 5th inning for the winning margin.

McKinley Hurley of Trenton and Kelly Warford of Pattonsburg had spectacular games for NCMC, with Hurley scoring 3 times in a 2-for-4, one walk effort.  Warford had 3 hits in 4 at-bats, and scored twice.  Jaclyn Weydert of Brookfield was a perfect 3-for-3, driving in four runs.  Adding to the Lady Pirates offense was Lawson native Bethany Jacobsen with a pair of RBI’s, and Gallatin product Aubrey Nelson, with a 2-for-3, one run contest.

Hilsabeck scattered 10 Ellsworth hits.  Five of her runs allowed were of the unearned variety, as the Lady Pirates made two costly errors in the game. Hilsabeck’s record improves to 13-6.

In comparison to the first game, Game 2 saw more ebbs and flows, with North Central giving up 3 first inning runs to fall into chase mode early.  The Lady Pirates offense got to Ellsworth starter Kassadie Burton in the 2nd and 3rd innings, with two runs in the 2nd and five more in the 3rd giving NCMC a 7-5 lead (Ellsworth scored two runs in the 3rd off starting pitcher Kelly Warford).

Two more runs in the 4th inning for North Central proved critical after Ellsworth finished the scoring with two runs in the visiting half of the 6th inning.

The Lady Pirates showed punch and balance in a 14-hit attack, with Weydert, Nelson, Georgia Gibler, Rachael Balke, Jessica Stupar, and Breann O’Riley all racking up two hits.  Gibler’s two hits were both doubles, as she drove in two runs, matching the 2 RBI’s from Nelson.

Warford earned the win for the Lady Pirates, going seven innings, allowing nine hits and seven runs (six earned), with four walks and three strikeouts.  Cali Byrn had a home run and 4 RBI’s in the loss for Ellsworth.  The win improves Warford’s record to 3-2.