Lady Pirates use strong pitching, timely offense to take two from State Fair

The North Central Missouri College Lady Pirates have run their season record to 25-13, rallying twice from early deficits on Wednesday afternoon to sweep a softball doubleheader with State Fair Community College at Griffin Field.

The visiting Roadrunners scraped across a 2nd inning run to claim a brief 1-0 lead in the opener, with NCMC answering the deficit in dramatic fashion, putting four runs on the board in the bottom of the 2nd inning.  After State Fair’s single tally in the 3rd was answered by a Lady Pirate two-run rally, North Central put the game away with four runs in the bottom of the 5th, ending the contest.

Allison Hilsabeck improved to 14-6, pitching five innings, with both of the runs given up unearned.  She struck out four Roadrunners.  McKinley Hurley, Bethany Jacobsen, and Kelly Warford all had two singles, with Hurley and Jaclyn Weydert contributing two RBI’s in the win.

While singles did the damage for the NCMC offense in the opener, the Lady Pirates found their “doubles” game in the nightcap, as Georgia Gilber had a pair of two-base hits in a 2-for-3, 2 RBI effort, leading North Central to a 7-2 win.  NCMC had five doubles in the game, one from Rachael Balke, who was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.  Aubrey Nelson was 2-for-2 with a double and a pair of RBI’s.

Kelly Warford got the start and went the first 3 2/3 innings, giving up three hits and two runs (one earned), with four walks, and five strikeouts.  Warford was relieved by Jessica Stupar with the Lady Pirates trailing 2-0 in the top of the 4th inning.  As Stupar slammed the door on the State Fair offense with 3 1/3 scoreless innings, North Central exploded with three runs to take the lead in the bottom of the 4th inning, followed by four runs in the 5th.  The Lady Pirates amassed 13 hits in their 25th win of the spring.  Stupar, by benefit of the rally from her offense, earned the win, improving to 8-5, while Warford got a no-decision.

The Lady Pirates busy stretch continues this (Thursday) afternoon, hosting the Graceland University in a 2 o’clock doubleheader at Mark Griffin Memorial Field.  A brief game-break will follow before NCMC heads to southwest Missouri to play Region XVI rival Crowder College in a Monday afternoon doubleheader in Neosho at 2 o’clock.