The National Park College (NPC) Nighthawk softball team (14-8) picked up two wins against Connors State College Tuesday, defeating the Cowgirls, 5-4, in the opener and 10-7 in the finale.
In the series opener, NPC rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh inning to steal victory from Connors State College.
Scoreless through three and a half innings, the Cowgirls broke the stalemate with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. NPC freshman shortstop Logan Nies (Rockwall, Texas) responded with a two-run single in the fifth inning to pull within one run. In the top of the seventh inning, sophomore pitcher Jadyn Hart (Magazine) tied the game on a solo home run while sophomore second baseman Abigail Pittman (Jonesboro) and freshman first baseman Reagan Torres (Fort Worth, Texas) added RBI singles to take the lead. After allowing a leadoff home run in the bottom of the frame, Hart induced a lineout and struck out two of the final three batters to secure the victory for NPC .
Hart earned her fourth win of the season, allowing four runs on six hits with seven strikeouts in the complete game effort. Torres led NPC in hitting, finishing two-for-four at the plate.
NPC went yard early and often in the series finale, taking the lead in the first inning on a three-run home run from sophomore left fielder Shelbee LeJeune (Maurice, Louisiana). LeJeune knocked in another run in the third inning before blasting her second three-run homer of the game in the fifth inning. Nies and freshman pitcher Makenna Keeton (Morrilton) added home runs in the contest, with Nies hitting a solo shot in the fourth inning and Keeton adding a two-run round-tripper in the seventh inning.
Despite giving up the lead on a four-run third inning for the Cowgirls, NPC settled things down from inside the circle, allowing the Nighthawks to reclaim the lead in the fourth inning and never look back. Freshman pitcher Cameron Person (Bonham, Texas) allowed six runs on seven hits with two strikeouts over two and one-third innings in the start, while Keeton shut down the Cowgirls with only one run allowed on four hits through four and two-thirds innings. LeJeune and Torres each managed three hits to lead NPC at the plate.
NPC hosts the inaugural Nighthawk Round Robin tournament March 3-4 at Majestic Park. Featuring Navarro College, Allen County Community College and Northwest Mississippi Community College, the Nighthawks play host to Navarro College and Allen County Community College at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively, Friday, March 3. The games will be streamed live on the Nighthawk Network.
For more information on schedules, rosters and more, visit Nighthawks baseball online. Fans can also follow the Nighthawks all season on social media.
Facebook: Nighthawk Athletics
Twitter: @NPC_Nighthawks
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Snapchat: npnighthawks
