NCMC softball loses 7th inning lead, settles for split with Three Rivers

The Lady Raiders of Three Rivers Community College and Lady Pirates of North Central Missouri College, instead of dealing with long-travel difficulties for either team to travel to the others campus, split the difference on Monday afternoon, playing a neutral-site Region XVI doubleheader at Westminster College in Fulton.

As was the case on Sunday afternoon in St. Charles for NCMC, the Lady Pirates split another doubleheader, this time taking the opener, before dropping a wild night-cap that saw both squads score double-digit runs.

NCMC broke to the lead in Game 1 with two runs in the bottom of the 2nd inning and never trailed in taking a 7-3 victory.  Allison Hilsabeck scattered nine Three Rivers hits over the complete game effort, improving to 12-6 on the spring.  The Lady Pirates lit up the Raiders pitching staff with 18 hits over seven innings, lead by three hits each for McKinley Hurley, Jaclyn Weydert, Georgia Gibler, and Aubrey Nelson, along with a a 4-for-4, two run, two RBI game from center fielder Jessica Stupar.  Hurley added two stolen bases and an RBI.

NCMC, while never finding a “game-breaking” hit, was steady with its offense, scoring single runs in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th innings, and adding two insurance runs in the bottom of the 6th, extending the lead to the final score of 7-3.

While the second game was certainly wild with base-runners, runs, and rallies, it will undoubtedly go into the “disappointment” category for the Lady Pirates, who lost a 9-7 lead going into the top of the 7th, giving up two runs to the Lady Raiders to send the game to extra innings, then four more tallies in the top of the 8th, in a 13-10 defeat.  NCMC did manage one run in the bottom of the 8th inning, not enough to rally for the win.

The game was back-and-forth early, with both teams putting up two 1st inning runs.  The Lady Pirates appeared to take control of the contest in the bottom of the 6th inning, as four runs turned a 7-5 Three Rivers lead into a 9-7 advantage for NCMC.

In the middle of a furious stretch of doubleheaders, the Lady Pirates overall record is now 21-13 and their Region XVI mark sits at 11-7.  North Central’s stretch of softball continues this (Tuesday) afternoon, hosting the Ellsworth (Iowa) Community College Lady Panthers for a pair of games at Griffin Field in Trenton.  First pitch is slated for 3 o’clock.  On Wednesday afternoon, the Lady Pirates host State Fair Community College at 2 o’clock. On Thursday, Coach Richman’s squad hosts the Graceland JV, also at 2.