NTCC Softball Wins Two Road Games

Northeast Texas Community College Softball hit the road to Cisco, Texas, this weekend to take on Pratt Junior College (Pratt, Kansas) and Cisco College on Saturday. NTCC would defeat Pratt 12-1 in game one and knocked off home team Cisco 14-3 to complete the two-game road trip with wins.

Game 1 action against Pratt, NTCC would score at least one run every inning to win game one. The Eagles got things going in the first when Kadi Downs (Foreman, AR HS) reached via a hit by a pitch to lead things off, and Haylee Wilson (Hughes Springs HS) reached via walk with one out, Tasha Pierce (Hudson HS) would homer to give NTCC a 3-0 lead. In the second inning, Downs reached base on a two-out single and then scored when Emma Farquhar doubled to left/center field to increase the lead to 4-0. Pierce’s hot bat continued in her second at-bat when she led off the third inning with a home run to push the lead to 5-0. Just two batters later, Averie Ayers (Mount Pleasant HS) would go deep as well with a solo shot to take it to 6-0.

NTCC would add two runs in the fourth to increase the lead to 8-1 and the final four runs in the fifth inning to win 12-1. Pearl Perry (Hughes Springs HS) would join Pierce and Ayers with a home run in the fifth inning.

In addition to hitting well, Ayers was in the circle for NTCC, keeping Pratt off balance and allowed just one run on two hits and three strikeouts over five innings of work.

Game 2, the Eagle offense exploded in the first inning, scoring five runs to set the tone early. The NTCC hitters saw the ball well off the Cisco pitcher, opening the game with three straight singles and two consecutive doubles followed that to get the Eagles on the board early and often in game two. After being held scoreless in the second, NTCC would score six runs in the third inning to increase the lead to 11-1 over Cisco College.

Kailey Hancock (Central High School) led off the fourth inning with her first collegiate home run to add three more runs to extend the lead to 14-2.

Emily Cole (Paul Pewitt HS) would get the ball for game two of the day and kept Cisco to just three runs on one hit and five strikeouts. Cole was able to overcome some walks with a timely ground out and pop-ups by keeping the batters off-balance with various pitches.

NTCC will be on the road to Eastern Oklahoma State College on Thursday, March 4, before returning home on Saturday, March 6, for the rubber match in a doubleheader against Eastern Oklahoma State at 1:00 pm.

Keep track of NTCC softball and up-to-date schedules by logging on to the NTCC Athletics website at www.ntcceagles.com.

NTCC Athletic Events 3/1-3/6

Thursday, March 4 Softball at Eastern Oklahoma State College (DH)

Thursday, March 4 Baseball at Panola College (Single game)

Saturday, March 6 Softball vs. Eastern Oklahoma State 1:00 pm (DH)

Saturday, March 6 Baseball vs. Panola College 1:00 pm (DH)

All games subject to change due to weather. For up-to-date schedules, go to www.ntcceagles.com. 

National Athletic Training Month

March 2021

The National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) membership celebrates the Athletic Training profession each March to spread awareness of Athletic Trainers (AT’s) important work. This year’s slogan is “Essential to Health Care”. This past year showed this more and more as athletic trainers worked to develop COVID-19 protocols to help combat the Coronavirus Pandemic. Athletic Trainers not only assisted their teams, schools, and companies in developing and implementing risk mitigation protocols but safe return to work and play protocols.

Athletic Trainers are licensed/certified experts who work to prevent and treat musculoskeletal injuries and sports-related illnesses. Athletic trainers offer an unparalleled continuum of care. AT’s are part of a team of health care professionals; they practice under the direction of and in collaboration with physicians. Athletic Trainers work with physically active or involved individuals in sports participation through all the stages of life to prevent, treat, and rehabilitate injuries and medical conditions. Athletic Trainers should not be confused with personal trainers or “trainers” who focus solely on fitness and conditioning.

Sports injuries can be severe. Brain and spinal cord injuries and conditions such as heat illness can be life-threatening if not recognized and properly managed. AT’s are equipped to treat acute injuries on the spot. Athletic Trainers mitigate risk for school administrators, athletic directors, and coaches who have their jobs, which may pose a conflict of interest with athlete safety. Coaches are not experts in managing injuries or sport-related illnesses, nor should they be responsible for doing so. Treating injuries at school or work, rather than sending the patient to the emergency department, saves money and time loss and gets the patient back to activity faster.

Northeast Texas Community College would like to recognize our Athletic Training staff, Justin Hargrove (Head Athletic Trainer) and student athletic trainers Erica Austin and Marissa Nolan, along with the athletic trainers of Mount Pleasant ISD, Alex Fellows and Trenton Gardner, Daingerfield ISD AT Averi Nelson, Pittsburg ISD AT Tyler Nugent, and Mount Vernon ISD AT KaTerria Epps for all their hard work in taking care of our area athletes.

For more information about athletic training, you can visit the NATA website at www.nata.org, or for more information on how to get an athletic trainer at your school, visit www.atyourownrisk.org.