Northeast Texas Community College Softball hit the road to Poteau, Oklahoma to take on Carl Albert State College and came away with two wins on the day. NTCC would win game one 14-1 and game two by a score of 14-9.
Freshman Daphne Bogenschutz (White Oak, Texas) would be in the circle in game one and pick up her first win of her collegiate career. Daphne pitched a complete game giving up just one run on five hits and striking out 9.
NTCC got things going early when Haley McAlexander (New Boston, Texas) walked and advanced to second on a stolen base. Jodi Dehart reached second on an error by the left fielder placing runners on second and third with one out for Tinsley Love (Van Alstyne, Texas). Love would launch a three run homerun, her first of her collegiate career, to give the Eagles an early 3-0 lead.
NTCC would add three more runs in the second inning when when Dehart started a two out rally reaching base on an error by the short stop. Love would walk to put two runners on for the Eagles. Shea Nelson (Hughes Springs, Texas) would single to score Dehart and then Abby Russ (Hooks, Texas) would single to drive in Love and Nelson to increase the lead to 6-0.
After allowing one run in the fourth inning, NCC would put things away in the fifth inning scoring 8 runs in the frame. Back to back singles by Love and Nelson and a walk by Russ loaded the bases. Kailey Hancock (Lufkin, Texas) picked up an RBI with a sacrifice fly to left field. Jalissa Alvarez (Mount Pleasant, Texas) would walk to load the bases again for the Eagles and bring up Johnae Robinson (Pollock, Texas) to single to right center and score two more runs. Kelsi Dotts (Rowlett, TX) came in for Love and drew a walk and later scored when Lani Green (Kilgore, TX) pinch hit for Russ and singled to drive in the final run of the game.
The Eagle hitters would pound out 12 hits in the game to make Carl Albert pay for the six walks issued by their pitchers.
In game two, Sarah Overholtzer (Bellflower, California) got the start and picked up her first collegiate win of her career. Overholtzer pitched five innings of work giving up just three runs and striking out five. Presley Swindell (Durant, OK) and Bogenschutz would finish out the contest in the circle for the Eagles.
Offensively for the Eagles they would get on the board in the first inning with three runs scored. McAlexander, Love and Nelson would all reach base and score in the first inning to put the Eagles up 3-0. Love and Russ would score in the third inning to put NTCC up 5-0. After giving up one run in the bottom of the third, the Eagles answered back with another run of the in the top of the fourth when Emma Farquhar (Hooks, Texas) doubled and later scored on a single by Dehart to bring the lead to 6-1.
The Vikings of Carl Albert would not go away easily in game two and scored again in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead to 6-2. NTCC answered right back with two more runs in the fifth. Alvarez would single and later score on an RBI single by Farquhar, who scored a few batters later when Dehart put the ball in play and forced and error by the short stop. The Eagles would push the lead to 8-2 heading to the bottom of the fifth inning. Carl Albert once again added a run in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 8-3.
Both teams would have a big sixth inning with NTCC scoring four runs to increase the lead to 12-3. The Eagles needed the cushion as the Vikings scored their final six runs to bring the game to 12-9. Nelson and Russ would each get on base in the seventh and add two more insurance runs for NTCC to put the game away 14-9.
NTCC will travel to Lufkin, Texas February 12, to face former conference opponent, Angelina College in a double header matchup. The next scheduled home game is Thursday, February 17 against Hill College with a 2:00pm start.
You can follow NTCC Athletics at www.ntcceagles.com.