NTCC Softball Sweeps Eastern Oklahoma

Northeast Texas Community College Softball traveled to Wilburton, Oklahoma, to take on Eastern Oklahoma State College in a two-game series. NTCC would take game one 8-2 and game two 14-9. The series sweep brings the NTCC win streak to five straight games as they head into conference play next week.

NTCC got things going in the first inning in game one when Haylee Wilson (Hughes Springs HS) singled, followed by a walk by Tasha Pierce (Hudson HS) to set up Pearl Perry (Hughes Springs HS) to hit a three-run home run to put NTCC up 3-0. The Eagles added a run in the third inning when Kadi Downs (Foreman, AR HS) singled and then scored when Emma Farquhar (Hooks HS) singled to drive in the run to put NTCC up 4-0.

Eastern would cut the lead to 4-1 with a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning, but NTCC pitcher Averie Ayers (Mount Pleasant HS) would settle down to limit the damage the Mountaineers would do.

NTCC would add four more runs in the fifth inning on four hits and two walks to bring the score to 8-1. Eastern would add one last run in the sixth inning to get to the final score of 8-2.

Ayers would go the distance in the circle striking out six on the day to pick up the Eagles’ win. Wilson led the way offensively for NTCC, going three for four with two runs scored.

Game 2, Halea Wells (Lufkin HS) would pick up her first collegiate win when she came in relief in the first inning for starter Emily Cole (Paul Pewitt HS).

The Eagles started things off in the first with a single to left-center by Farquhar, and then she scored when Wilson doubled to center field to put NTCC up 1-0. Eastern would score four runs in the first to take the lead in game two. Wells would keep the Mountaineers off the board until the fifth inning, when they would score five runs to try to cut into the NTCC lead. 

NTCC would get big innings offensively in both the third and fourth inning, batting through the order in both innings and scoring six runs in the third and six runs in the fourth to lead 13-4. NTCC would pound out thirteen hits in the third and fourth innings combined, with Lauren Isbell (Burleson HS) homering in the third to help lead the way. 

The Eagles were seeing the ball well, with nineteen official hits on the day. Wilson would lead the way going four for four with three runs scored. Darkness halted the game. Eastern does not have lights, so the sixth inning stats do not count as the game reverted to the fifth inning score. 

The Eagles will start conference play on Wednesday, March 10, when they travel to Paris Junior College for a doubleheader. You can catch NTCC softball at home on Saturday, March 13 at 1:00 pm when Trinity Valley Community College comes to town for a conference doubleheader. 

Eagle Baseball Loses a Close Contest to Panola

Northeast Texas Community College Baseball traveled to Carthage, Texas, to take on the Panola Ponies in a conference showdown on Thursday. Panola would make a last-inning comeback to defeat NTCC 7-6.

The Eagles would get on the board early, scoring runs in the first four innings of play, but the early offensive effort was not enough to seal the victory. Cole Modgling (Medina Valley HS) would lead off the game with a walk and moved to third base on a single by Sawyre Thornhill (Huntington HS), and later scored on a single by Nico Baumbach (Euless Trinity HS) to take a 1-0 lead.

NTCC added two runs in the second and then two more runs in the third inning when Jason Schneider hit his second home run in as many days to increase the lead to 5-0. 

Panola got on the board in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 5-1. Both teams would add a run in the fourth to bring the game to 6-2, with NTCC leading. Panola would add one run in the sixth to cut the lead to 6-3 and tie the game in the eighth when they plated three runs to bring the game to 6-6. A two-out single by Panola would score the winning run in the ninth’s bottom to give the Ponies the 7-6 victory over the Eagles.

Mikel Howell (Huntsville HS) would start for NTCC and went four innings giving up two runs on four hits with five strikeouts.

Thornhill would lead the way offensively for NTCC, going three for three with a walk and one run scored. Baumbach and Khalon Clayton (Kilgore HS) would each have two hits to help pace the offense. 

NTCC will be off on Friday and return to action in a doubleheader against Panola on Saturday, March 6 at 1:00 pm.